Night
by MyLiverHurtz
Summary: COMPLETE. Clark Kent meets one of Chloe's friends. Meanwhile, events in Smallville take a turn for the stranger...
1. Fear

Chloe continued typing on her computer, busy writing up the front page news for the Torch that she was supposed to have done the day before. But as anyone knew, life never went the way you expected it to. She yawned and leaned back in her chair, looking at the clock. One in the morning. She knew it was late and her writing was going to be crappy, but she would just revise in the morning. Besides, with everything going on in the school, Chloe doubted she could have a restful sleep.  
  
Suddenly Chloe's computer screen went blank. So did the lights.  
  
"Crap." muttered Chloe as she looked outside the window. Everything was dark. 'Power failure, I'll have to finish the aritlce in the morning.' she thought, hoping she remembered to save every few minutes. She stood up from the chair, looking around the near pitch black Torch office. Chloe instinticly pulled out the desk drawer, grabbing a flashlight. She turned it on, waving it around the office. Sullivan made a mental note to herself to clean up the office in the morning.  
  
She picked up her bag and made her way to the door, guiding herself with the flashlight. she made it, twisting it open. She stepped outside and fumbled with her keys, trying to lock it again. The hallways were even darker than the Torch office. But that happens with no lights, and no stars from the clouds. A devil's night.  
  
While trying to find the right key, Chloe's thoughts drifted to the Torch and how Clark _still_ hadn't given her that interview with the principal. But Chloe didn't blame Clark, after all he had his hands full. With Alex.  
  
Sullivan bit her bottom lip. Alex. Clark had never struck Chloe as a go-get-her, but this time he was different. Him and Alex seemed to get along so great, like they were one of a kind. Even from the day that met in the Talon. For just a second Chloe felt anger towards Clark, after all Chloe had always thought he and her were alike. So why couldn't he see her? Why couldn't he just try to make any sort of relationship beyond "friends" work? The dance of course didn't count. Clark left that dance to go save Lana. And despite what her conscious mind rationalized, Chloe was still resentful of that.  
  
At least Clark wasn't on the fence anymore, afraid to go for Lana or her. Now he really had his mind set on someone. Chloe really did feel happy for him, Alex and Clark really did like each other. That was far too uncommon to just take granted. Chloe couldn't describe it exactly, but Clark seemed... looser around Alex. For the first time it wasn't as if Clark was constantly hiding something.  
  
"Gotcha!" exclaimed Chloe as a key finally dug into the doorknob. She twisted it, hearing the familiar clicking noise when it was secured. Chloe put the keys back into her purse, and started her way down the hallway to the main lobey. She heard her shoes constantly clacking against the ground which seemed eerie to her. Whenever Chloe heard them she had the oddest feeling someone was following her, right behind her...  
  
'Stop it Chloe, you're letting all of these stories getting to you.' she thought. It was October, a very warm one, and people's imaginations were getting the best of them. Though it did seem like paranoia was sweeping Smallville like an epidemic.  
  
Chloe stopped. Did she hear breathing? No. That was her own breathing. Nobody else could be in the school, everything was locked down this time of year to protect the school from teens looking for a halloween prank. Sullivan continued down the hallways, noticing that she had gone in a complete circle.  
  
'I must really be tired.' she thought, now consciously guiding her movements. And there it was again, the sound of very heavy breathing. Chloe looked down a long hallway. She was certain the noise was coming from there. 'What the hell.' she thought, started to walk down the hallway. It was only a minute, and she would prove to herself that it was just her mind imaging things.  
  
Chloe turned a sharp corner at the end of the hallway, gasping. "Clark!" she screamed. She saw Clark on his knees staring out the window, breathing heavily with tears running down his cheek.  
  
Slowly he turned to her, but still not taking his eyes off of the window. Chloe could see his entire face was damp from sweat and tears. "Help me!" he yelled, his voice quivering with fear. 


	2. Faces

Two weeks earlier, Clark was sitting in the Talon. There was no sweat and no tears of fear, only the usual smile. "Well, I have to admit, it was pretty funny."  
  
"Funny?" asked Pete, "Clark, funny is getting a cream pie in your face. That was ihysterical/i!"  
  
"What was?" asked Chloe, walking in from the front door. Sullivan walked over to the circular table, pulling up a seat, sitting in between Clark and Pete, accross from Lana. "Well, what was so funny?"  
  
Pete leaned forward. "We were in biology class, class..." he tried to say, but was unable to finish before breaking out laughing.  
  
"We were in biology class," continued Lana, smiling, "when Clark was giving his presentation on coevolution in the rainforest. Ian decided the snake needed a bit of fresh air, so he opened the tank."  
  
Pete managed to hold back his laughing. "You should've seen the look on Clark's face when he realized there was a snake in his shirt!" he exclaimed. "Snake, snake! Help!" Pete yelled, mockingly.  
  
Chloe laughed to, patting Clark on the back. "Good job, flannel-man."  
  
The entire table broke out in laughter, including Clark.  
  
"So, Clark. Heights, the dark, snakes, pretty soon you'll have every phobia covered." said Pete.  
  
"Dark? I didn't know you were afraid of the dark Clark." said Lana.  
  
"Yep," confirmed Ross, "ever since that camping trip we went on witht he Kents. I'm sure Clark'll be glad to tell us all about it sometime."  
  
"Sometime." emphasized Clark. "Right now I think my ego is bruised enough." he said, which was met by another round of laughter. Clark glanced at his three friends, smiles on all of their faces. It hit Clark that things were truly going well for him. Kent's eyes gazed around the Talon in a brief scan. His eyes rested upon a reading man, some 70 years old... very short, and he looked horrible. His skin was ravaged with weathering, with clothes to match. Suddenly the man looked up from his book and gave Clark an icy stare, at which Clark turned his attention back to Chloe. "Chloe, do you know that guy over there? Sitting near the window?"  
  
Sullivan didn't looked behind her, she simply pulled a mirror out of her pocket and angled it so she could get a view. That had always amazed Clark, how Chloe's nose could get anywhere she wanted it to. Almost as quickly as she had braught it out she put it back in. "Yeah. Johnathan Mercer, 'Crazy-Joe'. He barely ever comes out in public though, I wonder what he's doing here."  
  
"Crazy-Joe?" asked Lana.  
  
"Yeah. He has a way of... spooking people. Mostly just ranting, a few words of doom and gloom to anybody who tries to talk to him. I think he likes it." replied Chloe.  
  
Clark nodded. Then he looked at Lana, who was now trying to hide the fact that she was staring at Joe. Lana had always amazed Clark as well, with her constant caring attitude. If Clark knew Lana she would...  
  
Stand up. Getting to her feet, Lana picked up the notepad thast was sitting on the table and made her way over to Mercer. She stopped directly over the man, who had his nose dug into a book. Lana coughed to get his attention. "Excuse me, sir, could I get you something to drink? Some coffee?"  
  
Mercer looked up at Lana, and something about them gave Lana a chill down her back. They had no colour, the iris was completely black. "No." he replied simply, before turning back to his book. "I'd suggest you don't bother me again."  
  
Lana blinked, turning away. What had just happened? Lang slowly made her way back to the table.  
  
"You okay, Lana?" asked Pete when he saw her blank expression.  
  
Lana was about to reply when her eyes darted towards the front door, another teenager walking into the door. She was tall with dark hair and dark eyes, dark eyes which was exploring every centimetre of the Talon. Lana had never seen the girl before, was she new in Smallville?  
  
"Alex! Over here!" yelled Chloe, waving her hand the in the air. Her hand was waving the girl towards the table.  
  
Alexandra, seeing Chloe, smiled and quickly walked towards the table. Once there she kindly waved to everyone. "Hello."  
  
Chloe turned away from Alex and waved her hand, indicating the other people at the table. "This is Pete, Clark, and Lana. They are some of the nicest people you will ever meet in Smallville. Which means a lot, by the way."  
  
Alex beamed. "Hi, I'm Alexandra. Alex for short." she said, outstretching her arm. She shaked Pete's hand first, then Lana's, then Clarks. "Wow," she commented while shaking Clark's, "nice grip."  
  
The farmboy smiled boyishly and sat back in his chair, blushing slightly.  
  
Alex tapped Chloe on the shoulder. "I'm ready for that tour, if you're ready." she said.  
  
Chloe's eyes widened in guilt. "I completely forgot. I've been swamped with work... I was just taking a break from the Torch. Maybe we could reschedual?" she asked. "I was supposed to give Alex a tour of Smallville High. She hasn't been living in Smallville since elementary school."  
  
Alex shrugged. "Since you're busy, maybe Clark could show me around?"  
  
Clark looked at Alex, thinking about she gets down to business quickly. Clark ignored the purely jealous snicker from Pete. Kent was sort of surprised, and stunned.  
  
Chloe looked at Clark, seeing him completely frozen. "I'm not sure if Clark can-"  
  
"-pass it up. Of course I will." finished Clark. He stood up, grabbing his schoolbag from the floor.  
  
"Great!" exclaimed Alex. She waved goodbye to the rest of the group and she walked toward the exit with Clark following. "Don't worry, I'll have you home before midnight." she joked, looking at Clark.  
  
Kent for an instant stared directly into her eyes. There was something very warm about them, inviting. Those beutiful, black eyes. 


	3. Terms of Love

"So, this is where Chloe works all of the time?" asked Alex, glancing around the Torch office. "It's big. Our school newspaper was about the size of pamphlet... and it isn't even written by the students." she said, turning to Clark, "you're a lucky bunch."  
  
Clark smiled. "Guilty as charged. Well, do you wanna see the gym now?"  
  
Alex nodded, walking outside of the room and into the hallway. "So, Clark, how long have you been in Smallville?" she asked.  
  
"Since I can remember," replied Clark.  
  
"That's funny, I don't remember you from elementry school? Surely we must have met before."  
  
Clark shrugged. "I don't remember. To be perfectly honest, I wasn't the most sociable type."  
  
"My guess is you still aren't." replied Alex off-hand.  
  
"Excuse me?" asked Clark, slightly amused. "How would you know that? Has Chloe been talking?"  
  
Alex laughed. "No. It's just... this entire time, talking to me has been like an challenge for you. Like you're trying to figure out how to respond with everything I say, like everything is new to you."  
  
Clark shrugged again. "As I said, I wasn't the sociable type. Plus I barely know you, I mean, we don't know each others last names."  
  
Alex smiled. "I'm Alexandra Mercer," she said lightly, "and no, I don't have a criminal record."  
  
Kent laughed. "Always a plus. I'm Clark Kent." he said. 'Mercer?' he thought, that was the name of the old man. In such a small town, same last names meant 95% of the time you were directly related. "Well, here we are." said Clark, opening the large gym doors for Alex. "Ladies first."  
  
Mercer laughed. "The day I'm a lady is the day you wear spandex... in public at least, I have no idea what you consider fun on your own time." she said jokingly, stepping through.  
  
'Anything's possible.' thought Clark in silent retort. Clark followed the girl inside, seeing several basketball players at the far end shooting hoops: practicing for the big game. The two sat down on the bleachers, watching them. Clark wondered about the basketball team... if he couldn't play football because of him possibly loosing control, what about basketball?  
  
"What is with all of the streamers?" asked Alex, noticing several of them all over the bleachers. There was even a giant paper banner lying limp in the upper corner of the gymnasium.  
  
"That's for the dance tomorrow night."  
  
"Oh! How wonderful. It's too bad I don't have date." she said, rather sadly. "How about it Clark? Would you like to take me?" she asked, making an intentionally fake-looking puppydog face.  
  
Clark mentally kicked himself. He had walked right into that one. "Of course I would." replied Clark, smiling. He would have to put off asking Lana for another time. Though Kent realized he wasn't just doing this to be nice, he defenitly had an attraction towards Alexandra.  
  
Alex stood up. "Well, it's been fun Clark. Now I have to get some work done. I'll talk to you later!" she said, running off. ."Don't forget! Tomorrow night! You can pick me up at 7am. You can get the directions from Chloe." she yelled, before she left the gym with Clark sitting on the bleachers. Suddenly she popped her head back into the door, blowing Clark an air-kiss and waving a final goodbye.  
  
"That was... interesting." muttered Clark as he stood up.  
  
That night, Kevin Altins walked briskly down the main street, trying to ignore the inviting glow of the Talon. If he drank any coffee he would be up all night, and he just wanted to get a bit of excersize before his exam tomorrow. In reality Kevin knew he was just procrastinating from studying, but hey, wasn't excersize good for the mind?  
  
'Not exercize past midnight.' said Kevin's mind, 'I'm going to be exhausted for the exam tomorrow. I'm going to fail.'  
  
"Just like you always did."  
  
Kevin stopped dead in his tracks. He turned around, seeing some figure in the shadows. "Excuse me?" he thought. Surely the man was speaking about something else.  
  
"You always were a failure." the voice said, sounding more familiar to Kevin.  
  
Altins stepped backwards from the voice. "Hello? Who are you?"  
  
The figure stepped out of the shadows and into a streetlight. Kevin couldn't believe it... "Dad?!" he exclaimed. Kevin ran forward, wrapping his arms around his father. Kevin thought he had died, everyone thought he had died, but he didn't! He was alive!  
  
The man pushed Kevin away, sending the teenager on the ground.  
  
Kevin scrambled to his feet. What was wrong with dad? Why wasn't he happy to see Kevin? Why did he look so angry?  
  
The figure reached into his coat jacket, pulling out a pistol.  
  
Kevin froze. No, not again. Years ago Kevin had seen his dad shoot a burglar in the arm to stop him, ever since then Kevin was terrified of guns. "D-dad? What's wr-wrong?" he asked, stammering. Kevin still backed away. Altin felt his heart racing, sweat was dripping down his face. Surely this couldn't be real. Dad had died in that accident, Kevin saw it with his own two eyes. Was this a ghost? His spirit coming back to get some sort of revenge on Kevin? What had he done to deserve that? "Dad... no..." Kevin stammered, pleading as the father came close, raising the pistol to his son's head.  
  
The gun went off. 


	4. Forces

Clark pressed his foot down on the accelerator, slowly driving down the driveway of the Kent farm and out onto the road. Waving goodbye to Martha Kent took off down the road, turning on the radio to a song by Remy Zero. Singing along (quite badly) in his tuxedo he made his way to Backview road, hoping the directions Chloe gave him were accurate. He turned onto that, having to put on his headlights. The sun was setting and it was being blocked by the trees as the road was going through a forest. Clark drived for a solid five minutes before he reached the first house. Clark saw a very old and crooked mailbox, on it was incribed "Mercer"  
  
Clark stopped on the road, turning off the vehicle. Kent got out of the red truck and walked up another dirt path that led to the front porch. Clark stepped on it, avoiding a gap in the wood that was evidently caused by insects. The house itself was old, and signs of insects were everywhere. The wood on the ouside that Clark could see was aged with time, with it being marked up and almost falling apart.  
  
Kent didn't even have to knock, Alex opened up the front door and stepped out onto the porch with Clark, wearing a completely stunning and very tight textured full-length green dress.. She closed the door as quickly as she could again. "Hi Clark!" she exclaimed giving him a large hug.  
  
Clark recipricated. "I got you this." he said, pulling out a red rose from behind him.  
  
Alex's eyes widened as she gently took the flower from Clark's hand, bringing it up to her nose and smelling it. "It's wonderful!"  
  
"Be careful," cautioned Clark, "It has thorns."  
  
Mercer just smiled. "A rose isn't a rose without thorns, Clark, same thing with people. Now, shall we be going? You're ten minutes late." she said.  
  
Clark guided Alex down off the porch, towards the truck. "Me and punctuality have never been on the best of terms." he explained. He watched Alex jump into the passenger-side side, quickly putting on her seatbelt.  
  
"I'm sorry about how my place looks, my dad is just living with grandpa temporarily until we get all of the funiture for our new house in place." she explained.  
  
"Sorry? It looks fine." replied Clark.  
  
"You're a very nice guy Clark, but a terrible lier." Alex said, laughing. "One of the things Chloe mentioned. I guess she's right."  
  
"She usually is." replied Kent. "What else has Chloe been telling you?" he asked as he turned the truck around, heading straight for Smallville High.  
  
"She made me promise not to tell you." she said. "But I guess I could. Under torture, that is."  
  
They both laughed. Feeling more at ease, Clark turned off the radio to talk with her more. He let his back loose a little... there was nothing to be nervous about.  
  
Clark and Alexandra walked up the steps of Smallville High, arms interlocked, looking just as formal as everyone else. Maybe a bit moreso. They went straight to the dark gymnasium, which had several small multicoloured disco-balls lights running which was making the room swirl around in a blizzard of colours. A slow dance was playing, so naturally Alex pulled Clark into a crowd of people. She placed his arm on her hip tenderly, placing her own hand on his shoulder.  
  
"You're pretty direct, aren't you?" asked Clark, starting to dance.  
  
Alex replied with that usual wide smile. "Enough of our lives are wasted on fear and hesitation, Clark," she said, "I think you allready know that. If you want something, you have to reach for it."  
  
Clark looked more intently into her eyes, as if staring straight through them. Kent understood that... for years he was too afraid to ask Lana out for a simple date. But Clark knew there was a reason. "If you do that you can lose it forever."  
  
"From what I've experienced, anything that is worth chasing isn't going to run away." she replied.  
  
Clark blinked. "So, what do you want?"  
  
"Right now?" she pondered, "I want to get to know you."  
  
Kent was taken aback slightly. His earlier instincts were right, she was ivery/i direct. But Clark didn't mind, he found himself wanting the same thing... to her, that is. He knew himself plenty. Or at least as much as one could. "I love this music." said Clark after a moment's silence, him glancing away from Alex.  
  
"Yes. It's beutiful." she replied, not taking her eyes off of Clark. She leaned forward, resting her head on Clark's chest. Feeling him breath, feeling his warmth. She continued to sway with Clark to the music, until the song fatefully ended. What was strange was that no more music played.  
  
Both Clark and Alex looked up to the mock-up platform where Pete and his date stood in front of a microphone. "Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention please." he said, very respectably. "We're about to step up the pace. We invite anyone who dares it to come up and dance here, show some tailfeathers if you will." said Pete, his remark being met with a round of laughter.  
  
Just as always, nobody dared put themselves into the public eye. That is, nobody except Alex.  
  
"Perfect!" exclaimed Alex, suddenly running toward the platform, having a firm grasp on Clark's hand.  
  
"I don't think I can..." tried Clark to explain, but he found himself begin dragged onto the platform. Despite these two's bold moves, still nobody else dared to join them. Kent looked around at the gym, with everything laughing, clapping, and cheering the pair on. Clark felt nasuated, being in front of all of these people. And he was going to be dancing. Kent looked around the gym more, spotting Chloe and her date smiling and waving. Just as always she had a camera in her hand, taking several shots. 'Front page news:' thought Clark, 'Flannel-boy trips over date's feet for all to see'  
  
Clark glanced over at Pete. "What music?" asked Clark, hoping for some miracle that would play music Clark actually knew how to dance to.  
  
"Tango, my man."  
  
Kent's eyes shut and sweat beaded down his face. He looked at Alex, who was again beaming. She seemed perfectly fine with it. Suddenly it hit Clark... Alex had manipulated situations again. Clark felt slightly resentfull, but that emotion was replaced by amusment. "I don't know how to Tango." explained Clark.  
  
"It's simple," replied Alex, "you'll know what to do. It comes naturally."  
  
Kent didn't believe it for one second. That was impossible, he had seen people Tango. Clark wouldn't be surprised if it was entirely necessary to attend a dance school just to make one of the simpler moves. However, Clark found himself staring into Alex's eyes as the music started up. He couldn't take his eyes off of hers, he couldn't do anything but stare. Those black eyes almost had a hypnotic quality...  
  
Suddenly Clark moved. In perfect sync with Alexandra. The two started executing the Tango perfectly, with everybody in the gymnasium whistling in approval of the performance. Kent didn't know what he was doing, he was just trusting his instincts. Somehow that was keeping his steps perfectly in step with Alex's for a seemingly flawless performance.  
  
The music got faster. So did Clark. The two continued to dance vigorously, both smiling at they swirled around, above and below each other. There was something completely and eerily erotic about the entire thing, and even though the two were physically seperate most of the time it was more personal than the slow dancing.  
  
But, just as quickly as it had begun, the music was over. Pete rushed onto the platform, toward the mic. "Let's hear it for Clark Kent and Alex Mercer!" he shouted while clapping.  
  
Clark and Alex took a bow, completely amazed by all of the attention. The two however slipped back into the gathering as a faster, modern piece played. The two managed to fade back into the crowd. "That was..."  
  
"Amazing!" replied Alex.  
  
Clark nodded in complete agreement. The farmboy looked around the gymnasium again, noticing the speakers placed throughout the room. Tied to the speakers were cords leading to contraptions on the cieling, whgich were holding up the giant model of the Smallville macot. The animal was massive and very heavy, and was carefull hung over the centre of the gym for all to see. "How did I dance?"  
  
"You danced wonderfully." responded Alex.  
  
"No, I mean how did I dance? I've never done anything like that before."  
  
Mercer shrugged. "I guess it just came to you."  
  
Clark shook his head. "No, that's not impossib-"  
  
Alex placed her fingers on Clark's lips. "One minute..." she said, rubbing her temple.  
  
"What's wrong?" asked Clark.  
  
"I don't know..." she started, but was interupted by a loud bang.  
  
Entering hyperspeed, Clark glanced around the room to see everying perfectly still, like in a photograph. They were all in the middle of jumping, just startled from the bang that happened several seconds ago from Clark's perspective. Kent looked around the room, spotting one of the speakers. It was in the middle of exploding. It didn't have a very loud blast, but it's main base was being blown apart. It was collapsing, and the cords leading to the cieling were being set loose.  
  
Clark looked at another. The same thing. Kent looked at all of them in succession, they were all exploding and their frames were crumbling away. Nobody looked like they were in immediate danger. 'System overload...' thought Clark, 'How is that possible?'  
  
Kent stood, remembering that Alex was staring directly at him. He had to return to his exact spot or she would see him suddenly disappear. Once doing that, he left his super speed world. Everyone started screaming, and both him and Alex looked around in confusion. Both of them looked at the massive mascot, and a dark feeling came over Clark. He had forgotten. Without the speaker support, the mascot would fall. Countless dozens of teenagers dancing under there could be seriously or worse.  
  
The large mascot started to fall faster, all of the helpless teenagers under it screaming as it raced towards them. 


	5. Secrets

Kent couldn't risk it. He entered hyperspeed, hoping Alex didn't notice Clark disappear out of the corner of her eye. Of course that seemed unlikely, considering her headache and the possibility of death. Kent raced to the centre of the still crowd which was in the process of screaming, and scrambling to get out of the mascot's way in time. Kent knew that they wouldn't, the massive creature had started falling very quickly and was allready at insane speeds. Even in hyperspeed Clark saw the object falling.  
  
Clark stood right under the object, hoping people ducked. He couldn't fly, he would just have to hope that his arms didn't give way temporarily when the creature hit, otherwise it would come down and possibly break people's necks. But then Kent knew that if he remained inflexible, his arms would break the outer shell and the massive animals would fall anyone. It was a risk, and Clark didn't know if any of the choices would prevent the disaster.  
  
Kent stood directly underneath, prepping his strength. He gave up hyperspeed to divert his concentrating into bracing himself. Clark closed his eyes as the screaming continued, as did the float. In less than a second it would collide with Clark's outstretched arms, and either way it went people would be hurt.  
  
Clark waited and waited, but it never hit. People had started to calm down and stop screaming, but they were still running. Clark opened his eyes and looked up, seeing his outstretched hands still awaiting the mascot to collide with them. And there the mascot hung in the air, where only a fraction of a second ago it raced. What had happened?  
  
A cord. A cord must have caught, or a safety cord was in place, dead in the center... that's why it was wobbling slightly. But the cord could still give at any second, and people needed help escaping. He could use superspeed to rush them to safety, but people would know his secret. He would only risk that if there was a serious risk to them. He needed a way to see the cord thta was holding up the mascot, and wait for it to almost snap and then get any remaining people out of harm's way.  
  
Clark, still looking upward, focused his eyes and used his x-ray vision to see past the solid mascot. He searched for the exceptionally strong cord that was still there. But Kent didn't see any. As far as Clark could tell, it was hanging in midair! But how was that possible? The mascot weighed tons, it couldn't be floating from air currents. Justin Gaines was dead, this wasn't his doing.  
  
Kent gazed around the room, seeing that most people had quickly escaped the gym. Clark's eyes rested on Alex, who wason her knees. Her fingers were placed firmly on her temples, and her eyes directly staring at the object above Clark. She was shaking, as if she was freezing. Or she was sturggling with something.  
  
"Clark, get out of there!" she screamed.  
  
Clark looked up, seeing the mascot starting to sway back and forth more. He looked around, seeing everyone else was relativly out of the way. Kent ran out of the way normally, just as it fell again to the ground. The object shattered once it hit, sending piece piecesof metal mesh and plaster flying everywhere. One such piece hit Clark on the back of the head, sending the farmboy to the floor.  
  
Kent let hiself drift a bit as people came rushing back in, not bothering to get up for a few seconds. He did so eventually though, looking around th room again.  
  
"Clark!" yelled Pete from behind Kent. "Clark, are you allright?"  
  
Clark spun around, happy to see that Pete was allright. "Yes, I'm fine. I'm glad that safety last cord held in place long enough." explained Clark, not wanting Pete to get interested into any freak phenomenon; not wanting Pete to get Chloe involved in another one of her infamous investigations.  
  
"Yeah." Pete replied. "It looks like everyone got out okay. Well, so much for a boring party we were worried about." he said. "Lana will freak when she hears this."  
  
"Lana? Where is she?" asked Clark.  
  
"She's at the hospital. Her date has been in the hospital since this morning."  
  
Clark looked concerned. "Why? Do you know?"  
  
"Yeah. It's pretty wierd though. A heart attack. Clark, the kid is 16, I guess he must have eaten one too many hamburgers. Speaking of Clark's romances, what happened to Alex?"  
  
"Alex..." muttered Clark, looking through the crowd with his vision. He looked through people sequentially, until he had seen clearly everyone in the room. She was nowhere to be found. "I guess she had enough excitment. Maybe she is in the truck." said Clark as he started outside.  
  
"Allright, see you later man. Oh, and nice dancing!"  
  
Clark didn't turn back to Pete, he just smiled. Kent had too many questions for Alex, he was busy thinking about how he was going to ask them. Kent raced out of the gym and quickly to the front of the school, where sure enough he saw Mercer sitting in the red truck wit her feet on the set, curling up against it's back.  
  
Clark entered the driver's side seat. "Are you allright?" asked Clark.  
  
"Just fine." she said, whiping a tear from her eye.  
  
"In there you pretty-"  
  
"Clark, can we go somewhere to talk?" she asked, interupting him. She wasn't smiling.  
  
"Um, sure." Clark said, putting his eyes into the ignition. He put the truck in reverse, manuvering the truck back onto the main truck. The ride to Clark's driveway was a long one, a silent one. Clark motioned to turn on the radio, but he stopped. He got the feeling music wasn't what Alex needed. She was very quiet, thinking about something as was obvious by her staring at the dashboard.  
  
The truck pulled into the driveway, and the two stepped out. It was dark, but lights from the stars and the light left on in the kitchen was enough light to get to the barn. The two came in, Clark using his x-ray vision to find a match. The two went up to the loft, Clark lighting some of the candles. It was the only source of candlelight. Normally this might seem to both of them a suggestion for... intimacy, but both knew it wasn't. Thery needed somewhere private, and to Clark this was the place.  
  
Alex kneeled down near the gap in the loft, looking out at the stars. She was accompanied by Clark who kneeled beside here, putting his hands across the frame. "Clark, I need to tell you something, but I need to trust you."  
  
Clark nodded. "You can."  
  
Alex smiled a bit. "If I trusted that completely it would defeat the purpose, Clark. Just for second, look in my eyes..."  
  
Clark thought it strange, but he did so. He wondered where this was going. Was she the one repsonsible for that act of telekenesis? Or was it another student at Smallville High, affected by kryptonite? Kent would be far too surprised if he had seen the last of that bunch. Suddenly Kent's thoughts drifted away until he wasn't thinking, all that was present was her black eyes. They were penetrating his own, invading even, but at the same time they were warm. Comforting.  
  
"Allright." she said.  
  
"By looking into my eyes you suddenly trust me?" he asked.  
  
"Yes." she said. "I'll explain. Clark, have you ever had a secret?"  
  
"You could say that." he responded, looking back out at the stars.  
  
"I know you have. The thing is, I do too. I have... abilities. They aren't exactly human."  
  
Clark nodded. He didn't quite know what to say. "Many people around Smallville do... from the meteor rocks. It changes people." he said. What else could he say? What would someone else say if he was revealing himself to them?  
  
"I know, from what Chloe's told me. But I'm not like any of them. Let me show you." she replied.  
  
Clark looked back at her with a questioning look on his face. Suddenly he weren't in the barn. He was on the dance floor, with Alex there with him. Clark looked around, seeing a gymnasium fit for the dance but with nobody here. Nobody here except Clark and Alex. Kent instincivly started dancing with Alex as a slow dance song started up. Clark saw the swirling disco lights, he heard the occasional car outside, he could feel Alex, he could taste the breath mints he had put in his mouth in the truck that had worn off long before, and he could ismell/i her hair. It was almost intoxicating.  
  
But it was gone. Clark blinked as he was suddenly back in the barn. He wasn't dancing, he was still kneeling there with Alex. Clark scrambled back a bit from the window, feeling dizzy.  
  
"Translocation can be a bit disorienting." said Alex.  
  
"What was that?" asked Clark. "Can you teleport or something?"  
  
Alex shook her head. "No, I can't. What you just saw and experienced wasn't real. It was just something I projected into your mind. I took what you sensed from that memory and reshaped it." she replied.  
  
"You're telepathic?"  
  
"Yes, but more than that." she said. Raising her hand, one of the candles on the table started floating. It gently sailed over, gliding into her hand. Staring at the candle, the flame started growing larger. More fierce. Then just as quickly as it rose, it died down. "My mom said that an alien visitor gave our family these powers out of gratitude for something. My brother says that we're aliens. I really don't know what to think."  
  
Clark looked intently at Alex, who had a tear running down her cheek.   
  
She looked at him, slightly confused. "Aren't you surprised? Why aren't you calling me a freak, running away? Just like the others?"  
  
Clark put his hands gently on her shoulders. "I'm not going to run away, and you aren't a freak. As for surprise... yeah, I am. But it was you that saved all of those people."  
  
"I'm not a hero Clark. I caused the accident." she said. Alex saw the questioning look on Clark's face. "That headache... sometimes my abilities overload without my control. I think that's what caused the speakers to explode. You see Clark, all of those people could have been killed. You on the other hand, you are a hero. You tried to stop that thing with your own two hands. You could have been killed, but you tied to stop it."  
  
Kent shook his head. "No. I didn't risk my life."  
  
"But I saw you."  
  
Clark took a deep breath. He couldn't believe what he was about to do, but it seemed right to him. "Alex, I've been hiding something from you. I'm..." he paused. "Not normal either." 


	6. Fateful

"He's going to be fine, Ms. Lang." said the nurse, checking vitals for the boy sitting on the hospital bed.  
  
Lana was standing next to the bed, looking down at the teenager who looked very peaceful.  
  
"Is he your brother? Boyfriend?"  
  
"Boyfriend." said Lana. "Well, sort of. He just asked me out yesterday. We were supposed to go to the dance but when I called his mom this afternoon she said he had been taken here."  
  
"Well, you have nothing to worry about." replied the nurse. "It was a fairly large heart attack, but his body handled the stress well. He should be back on his feet in a week or so."  
  
"How did he get a heart attack, anyway?"  
  
"We didn't find any physcial cause. Doctor Hamlem thinks something scared him half to death... literally. But that's extremely rare, and it must have quite a shock to his system."  
  
Lana looked down at the boy, brushing his cheek, slightly. "Sorry we couldn't go to the dance, Kevin. Maybe next time."  
  
"What do you mean, exactly? You aren't normal?" asked Alexandra, stepping closer to Clark while still kneeling his on level. "Not normal? You mean like me?"  
  
"Not exactly. But I have abilities."  
  
"Like what?" asked Alex. She rested her hand on Clark's knee, excited by what he was telling her.  
  
"Let me show you." said Clark. 'Here goes nothing.' he thought, entering super speed. He appeared at the other end of the loft.  
  
Alex blinked, refocusing her eyes on Clark, amazed. "Incredible... you have speed?"  
  
Clark took a spare horseshoe sitting in a bucket up for her to see. With one hand he crushed the horshoe, bending it into a knot. He looked at Alex's reaction, she was entranced. Kent stared at the horseshoe, and a violtent beam of heat erupted from his from eyes for just a second. It heated up the horshoe so much it started glowing and fusing with itself into a metal clump. He looked back up from it, staring at Alex. She wasn't staring at the once-horseshoe, she was looking at him with wonder.  
  
"You really do know what it's like." she said at once. "Does anybody else know about you?"  
  
"Pete, and my family."  
  
"Is your family like you? Do they have your gifts?"  
  
Clark shook his head. "No."  
  
Alexandra smiled. She wasn't crying anymore. "So I guess we aren't alone."  
  
"I thought you said your family were given gifts..."  
  
"They were." replied Mercer, "but none of my family is like me. They have the same abilities, but that doesn't make them like me. But you are Clark, you can understand. We're two of the same."  
  
"Understand? Understand what?"  
  
"It all!" she exclaimed happily. "What it feels like growing up, being stronger than everyone else and not being able to tell them who you are. Because if you ever did, they would run away or kidnap you and probe you until you're dead. Being held back from doing what normal kids do because you might do something, because you might have your secret revealed. What it feels like to be completely alone, even in a room of people."  
  
Clark nodded. "I understand that."  
  
"And we've found each other." she said, inching closer. "I know you can feel it to. I've never met anyone else like you. Clark, I never want to be alone again." she said, leaning forward. Alex pressed her lips against Clark's, dragging her lower lip below his.  
  
Kent closed his eyes and kissed her tenderly back. For the first time in his life Clark didn't feel alone, out of place. Alex and him were different but the same, they knew each other in ways nobody else could possibly imagine. He didn't want to be alone again.  
  
The two lay on the couch with there formal clothes still on, gently falling asleep, Clark's back pressing against the couch with Alex resting under his arms. The smell of her hair filled his mind with images of her at the dance, dancing seamlessly with one another. It came to Clark the reason he could dance, she had planted her own skill into his mind. Kent smiled at this as his pleasent thoughts gently gave way to nightmares. 


	7. Illusion

Clark couldn't see, and he couldn't move. He was being held back by something, restrained, paralized. He couldn't stop the screaming. Now matter how hard Kent tried to block it, screams of his friends kept echoing in his eardrums. Martha, Johnathan, Lana, Chloe, Pete... all crying for help. And now there was a new scream, a more powerfull one that was drowning out all of the others. It was Mercer.  
  
"Alex!" cried out Clark, trying his hardest to break the bonds he couldn't see. His world was completely dark, he couldn't make out why he couldn't move. What was preventing him? "Alex, I'm coming. Where are you?!"  
  
Everyone just kept screaming, crying for mercy. Crying for Kent to come help them. Crying for him to come. Soon more and more voices joined the crowd, until Clark couldn't distinguish any of them from each other. They were all forming one massive stadium of helpless people, needing Clark. And he couldn't do anything.  
  
Suddenly there was a figure. Clark could barely make out the shadow of a person in the distance, there was someone else in the void with him.  
  
"Hello?" yelled Clark, trying to raise his voice over the myriads screaming for salvation.  
  
The figure came into full view. "Hi Clark..."  
  
Clark recognized the voice immediatly. Sean Kelvin. "You need to help me Sean. Help me out of here!"  
  
Sean just stood in front of Clark, hovering a hand over Kent's face.  
  
Clark tried to move away, but he couldn't.  
  
Kelvin smiled before grasping Clark's face, covering his eyes.  
  
Clark could feel the heat draining from him, more slowly and painfully than the first time over a year ago. "Sean! Stop!" cried Clark, unable to stop the krypto-freak from slowly draining the energy from Clark. The screams from the helpless, now millions in number, intensified to an unbearable level. Kent tried his hardest to move, to push Kelvin away, but he just couldn't. He stood there completely motionless. 'I'm coming.' thought Clark, feeling very tired, 'Just hold on...'  
  
The contact points with Sean's hand were on fire from the cold. Inch by inch his body became painfully numb, Sean doing a much better job this time. Kelvin knew what he was up against, and this time he wasn't going to let Clark stand up again.  
  
"Sean... no... I have to help..." said Clark, trying to fight his way through the invisible force holding him back. But that just made him more tired. After most of his body was void of feeling and heat, Clark stopped fighting. He released himself, awaiting the darkness...  
  
"Clark!"  
  
Kent opened his eyes, jumping up to his feet. Clark couldn't stop shaking, and he could feel the sweat dripping down his face.  
  
Alex held Clark. "Clark, calm down. It was only a nightmare." she said, placing a hand on Clark's chest. Gently she pressed in, and Clark instinivly lowered his breathing. "My god, your heart is racing!" she exclaimed, feeling his wrist. "Super speed, super strength, I guess that all comes along with super nightmares?" she asked, feeling his head for a temperature. "You're cold."  
  
"No, I've never had a dream like that..." stammered Clark, sitting back down on the couch. He looked down at his hands, moving them. They were cold. Clark looked up at Alex, who's expression had suddenly grown far more worried.  
  
"May I?" she asked, gesturing to put her fingers to Clark's temples.  
  
Clark nodded, wondering what she was going to do.  
  
She smiled, and touched his temples. Her eyes roled to the back of her heard as her eyelids flickered very rapidly. Quickly she came back to normal, shaking her head. She removed her fingers from Clark's temples. "Quite a nightmare..." she said rather quickly.  
  
"That was too real."  
  
Alex smiled sweetly. "Dreams can sometimes see that way. Maybe being around my mind amplified the quality." she said, the suggestion sounding very put together to Clark. "Besides, I know you don't remember it. You felt a great of shock when you experienced that. Therefore it must be a dream."  
  
"I guess." said Clark. "What time is it?"  
  
Alex looked at her watch. "Time for me to go, unless of course you want your parents to know I slept in your loft."  
  
Clark smiled. "Not something I think would go over too well. Speaking of parents, would you like to come over for dinner tomorrow night? Well, I guess tomorrow is today, if it's past midnight. Anyways my mom is making chicken."  
  
Alexandra hugged Clark. "I'd love to."  
  
"And you don't have to pretend around them. They would understand." replied Clark.  
  
Alex paused for a second. "I guess if they raised a... talented child, they must be understanding. Allright. But can you tell them? I think I've had enough excitment, and I'd like for my first dinner with a boyfriend to go over nicely, not full of surprise."  
  
Clark nodded in understanding, staring out at the stary sky. "I understand. I'll see you tonight then."  
  
"Actually today. I'm starting school today, I'm not waiting until Monday. I wanty to get used to this school as quickly as possible." she explained.  
  
"Okay, see you in a few hours. Do you want me to drive you home?"  
  
"No, I think I'll walk."   
  
"It's too dangerous..."  
  
Alex laughed. "Clark, if anyone steps near me I'll have them seeing the national guard trampling down the road. I've lived in Edge city, I can take care of myself." she said, smiling with Clark. Alex waved goodbye as she stepped down the steps to the front entrance of the barn. "Sweet dreams." she said.  
  
'I hope.' thought Clark as he saw her leave. He turned back to his couch, laying down in it. Without Alex here the barn seemed very empty. No, not empty... Clark couldn't shake the feeling that someone else was there. Trying to ignore the faulty instinct, Clark drifted off to sleep. These nightmares weren't as intense, but they were still nightmares. 


	8. Twist

Clark stopped just before the steps leading up to Smallville High, staring up at the structure. Another first in his life, he wasn't feeling the least bit hesitant about stepping inside. Exposing himself to all of those people. Clark didn't finish that exam yesterday, he would have to please with his teacher in order to retake the test. He hadn't started on that article had had promised Chloe two days ago. He hadn't even written that essay yet, and it was due this morning.  
  
But all of that didn't matter. At least, not as importent as it was to him before. Those things seemed more trivial now for some reason.  
  
"Could it be?" asked Lana, appearing behind Clark.  
  
Clark turned around to face Lana, smiling. "Hey Lana. Could it be what?"  
  
Lana smiled back. "Could it be that the infamous Clark Kent arrived at school on time."  
  
Kent laughed, walking with Lana up the steps and into the school. "So, how have you been?"  
  
"I've been good, but I hear you've been better." she said, with a michievous grin.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Alex had been telling Chloe everything, Chloe was telling me everything. And I hear from Pete that you did the Tango?" she said, laughing.  
  
"I'm just full of surprises." replied Clark as he opened his locker, still looking at Lana from the corner of his eye. He realized he still felt a strong attractyion for her, but it was nothing compared to what he felt for Alexandra.  
  
"I guess so. So, what is she like?"  
  
Clark turned to her. "She's very smart, very straight to the point." he said. What he meant to say was that she didn't tiptoe around her feelings and about her wants, she expressed them. Clark found that he liked that kind of directness. It took a lot more courage than Clark could ever hope to have, at least that's what he thought.  
  
"I suppose so. Chloe says that Alex hasn't had very much sucess with guys, I guess she just needed the right kind."  
  
"Clark!"  
  
Both Lana and Clark looked down the crowded hallway, seeing Alex waving at the two of them.  
  
Alex ran up to the pair. "Hey Lana!" she said joyously before turning the Clark. She gave Kent a peck on the cheek. "Hey Clark. Are we still on for tonight?"  
  
Clark nodded. "Yep."  
  
"Going on a date?" asked Lana.  
  
"Yep. Clark is going to introduce me to his parents."  
  
'Kind of quick?' thought Lana. Taking a closer look, she saw that Clark had his arm around Alex's back, and she likewise. 'They did just meet in the Talon, right?' she thought. "Well, I'd better get to class. I've see you two lovebirds later."  
  
"She's suspicious." said Alex once Lana got out of earshot.  
  
Clark turned to her, closing his locker with a look of amusment. "You always dig into people's thoughts?"  
  
"Of course not." she replied, overdramatizing a hurt look. "Her eyes flickered to the left twice, and she blinked unnaturally when she said date."  
  
"So you have super psycological instinct?" Clark asked, chuckling.  
  
"No, not quite. When I was a kid I couldn't 'turn off' my... ability. After a while you just notice patterns you've never noticed before." she explained, starting to walk down the hallway. "For instance you cleared your throat three times during that conversation."  
  
Clark cleared his throat again. "So what does that mean?"  
  
Alex stepped so she could look at Clark, intimatly. "Chloe told me about your feelings for Lana before she knew about you and I." she said, with a large lack of resentment Clark would expect. "You don't have to hide it Clark. I have no problem with that, or you guys being around each other, just promise you won't betray me."  
  
Clark paused. "Alex, I would never do that."  
  
That was enough. Mercer smiled. "Allright, thank you. Now, I need to get to class. I guess I'll talk to you later?"  
  
"Yep. Look for me at the cafeteria." Kent said, turning for English class.  
  
Kent entered english class, sitting near the back of the class as usual. Clark had found that he didn't have any sort of flare for this class, making subtle connections in writing that were written centuries ago wasn't one of Kent's forts. Clark looked around, seeing everyone else with a completed four-page essay on the writings of David Harmlick. Kent looked down at four blank sheets of paper.  
  
The bell rung, and the teacher started walking around, collecting the essays. She got to the front of Clark's row, and in a matter of seconds she would reprimand Clark and give him a zero. Suddenly it hit Clark...  
  
Kent looked around the room, seeing everyone frozen. A paper airplane was hung in midair, flying toward the front of the class. Kent looked down at his paper, with everything else around him still. He grabbed a pen.  
  
Mrs. Williams walked down the row, collecting sheets. "Clark, I hope you actually decided to finish this essay." she said as she was two persons away from Clark. She reached Kent, who was handing her a completely four-page essay. "Ah, I'm proud Clark. You might just turn your mark around if you keep these work habits up."  
  
Clark smiled, looking out the window. He didn't notice the teacher starting class, his thoughts were occupied with Alexandra. Alexandra... wasn't that such a beutiful name? Clark thought so.  
  
"Clark, are you paying attention?"  
  
Kent blinked, looking up at the teacher. "Yes?" asked Clark. "I'm sorry. I was paying attention."  
  
Mrs. Williams smiled. "Then why were you apologizing?"  
  
"I... uh... didn't hear the question. Could you lease repeat it? I don't have very good hearing."  
  
The whole class laughed at Clark.  
  
Mrs. Williams sighed. "I said, based on our discussion, please elaborate on David Harmlick's interpretation of the emotion of love and tell the class what you think about it."  
  
Kent froze. He hadn't been listening to the discussion, he hadn't even read the designated reading, only what he needed for the essay. How was he going to get out of this? "I'm sorry, I can't. I don't agree with it."  
  
"Oh?" asked Mrs. Williams, suddenly interested. "Then tell me your intepretation." she said.  
  
Clark glanced around the room, seeing people looking at him, wondering what he would do next. They all probably had guessed Clark had no idea what he was talking about. Suddenly a calm fell over him as he thought of Alex... he had only known her for a day, really known her, but was this was more than infatuation. More than love at first sight. "Love..." started Clark, "isn't something you give and take, like Mr. Harmlick states."  
  
"Please elaborate." said Mrs. Williams, leaning against her desk.  
  
Clark cleared his throat. "You may show someone you love them by holding them, or things bit a more personal. But that itself isn't love, that's displaying it. I think love is an extension of trust. When you really love someone, they've shown themself to you and you accept that, you like them in their entirty. And it's the same with them for you. You're bonded with them. Two people in love... they become emotionally dependant on one another until the very thought of not being around them frieghtens each. In essense they are one."  
  
Mrs. Williams smiled. "That's very insightful Clark. I guess you are learning something in this class... good job."  
  
Clark smiled, leaning back in his seat, whispering "thank you"s to everyone giving him a thumbs up and mouthing "good job!"  
  
The farmboy looked at the blackboard, on there was written homework for tonight. Clark slumped back in his chair.  
  
Lana walked towards class quickly, fighting her way through the crowd. But suddenly there were no lights illuminating the narrow passageway, there were no people. Lana peered through the dark trying to see someone. "Hello?" she called out. Nobody responded. "Is anybody there?" she tried again. But she saw someone, down the hallway. Lana started running. But then she stopped. "Mom?" asked Lana. "You're alive?" Lana ran up to her mother, throwing her small arms around the women that was so much like the teenager. "I've missed you so much." said Lana as she rested her head on her mother's shoulder.  
  
The mother gently pushed Lana away from her. To Lana's confusion, Mrs. Lang put her hand around Lana's neck, gripping tighter and tighter...  
  
"Excuse me." said Joshua Palsk, wondering why the girl walking in front of him had stopped. "Excuse me..." he said, his voice more irrated. "Lana, I really need to get to class." he said, the hallways completely filled with people. There was no way to move out of the way, and other people behind Josh were now complaining. "Are you allright?"  
  
Suddenly Lana fell to the ground, shaking uncontrollably.  
  
"Oh my god..." muttered Josh as he knelt down besides her. "Somebody get help!" he yelled, grabbing her wrist. She was having convulsions, and she didn't have a pulse. 


	9. Stripped

Clark rushed around school, his thoughts revolving around Alexandra. He didn't see Pete, Lana or Chloe anywhere. Kent ate a quick lunch with Alex, but that was only a few minutes long. She had to race home, get her history paper, and race back before the lunch period was over.  
  
After school and after Clark had arrived home, he saw his mom in the kitchen preparing dinner. "Hi Clark." she greeted, smiling warmly. Johnathan sat at the table, reading his newspaper. "Are you ready for tonight?" Martha asked.  
  
"Yeah, about that." started Clark, "There's something you need to know about her."  
  
"Like what?" asked Johnathan.  
  
"She has... abilities."  
  
In syncronization Martha stopped, and Johnathan put down his paper. "Excuse me?" they asked, again, at once.  
  
Clark bit his tongue. "I said she has abilities. Powers. She told me about it last night, after the dance. After she saved all of those kids. Dad, if she wasn't there, I wouldn't have been able to stop that thing. A lot of people could been hurt. She's a hero."  
  
"Just exactly what can she do?" asked Johnathan, his voice saturated with concern.  
  
Clark cleared his throat. This was the part where they go ballistic. "Telepathy, telekenesis, teleprojection, pyrokenesis. But that's all."  
  
"But that's all?!" exlcaimed Johnathan, laughing slightly. "Son, I know you feel attraction for this Alex, but with just one of those abilities he could seriously hurt someone."  
  
"It's not just attraction." explained Clark. "She's like me, dad."  
  
"She's human, Clark. How is she any different from other freaks you've met?"  
  
Clark felt a pang of hurt. His father didn't understand what Clark had just said at all. "Freaks?" asked Clark, "is that what I am to you then, just a freak?"  
  
"Now hold on just a minute..."  
  
"No!" yelled Clark. "If anything I'm more of a freak than they are, they are at least human. I'm not. These are people, dad. You can't just write them off because they're different."  
  
"They are dangerous. You know that."  
  
"She isn't dangerous. If you spent five minutes with her you would know that for yourself." said Kent. "She's ilike me/i. Alex spent her entire life growing up behind a cloak, hiding who she was and what she could do. Sound like anyone you know?"  
  
Johnathan stood up. "Clark, it's not that simple. You've spent all of two days with her, you can't possibly know enough about her to trust her. What if she finds out who you really are? How would she react?"  
  
Clark paused. "She reacted just fine."  
  
Martha stepped in front of John, both of their eyes widening. "You told her?" she asked.  
  
Kent backed up slightly, putting his hand on the stair's guardrail. "Yes. After she trusted me enough with her secret."  
  
"Just great..." muttered Johnathan, trying to contain his anger. "Son, do you have any idea of how dangerous this is? She could hurt you. Son, she could try and kill you."  
  
"Sh'es not going to do that." said Clark, defensivly. "You can never understand us..." he muttered.  
  
"Excuse me?" asked Johnathan.  
  
"I said you can't understand us... me. You don't know what it's like to have to hide a part of you from everyone else, no matter how much you want to show it." he said. "But then again you don't give a damn about how us ifreaks/i have to live, do you?"  
  
"That is not true!" yelled Johnathan.  
  
Clark didn't respond. He turned his back to them, starting up the stairs.  
  
"Clark, come back." said Martha, trying to be the calming force.  
  
Again, Clark ignored her. He slammed the door shut to his room, lying flat on his back in his bed. He picked up the opened book on his nightstand, and began to read.  
  
He was interupted by a knocking on the door a few minutes later. Clark put down his book. "Come in." Clark said, hoarsly. Kent turned his to see both Johnathan and Martha coming into the less-than-tidy room. Clark saw Johnathan's face was still red from anger, and Martha looked concerned. It was like a mirror for their entire lives.  
  
Johnathan sat on the bed beside Clark while Martha leaned against a wall. "You are not a freak, son. I'm sorry for calling Alex one. But son, you have to realize that there are consequences to what you do and say. This Alex, no matterhow much you deny it, could be very dangerous."  
  
Clark nodded. "I just wish that you guys would trust me. Alex is not dangerous, I swear."  
  
"You can't possibly know that." said Martha. "We just want you to be careful."  
  
Clark looked downward. "Okay... I'm sorry. I shouldn't have come out that quickly. But please, iplease/i, try to be accepting of Alex. She may have powers, but she's still human and I'm in love with her."  
  
Johnathan paused. He knew Clark wouldn't be using the term 'in love' lightly. His son would be the last person on Earth to make that assumption. "Allright. We'll keep an open mind if you promise to keep your eyes open."  
  
"I don't need to." said Clark, "But I will."  
  
Johnathan smiled. "Now, when is she coming over?"  
  
Clark looked at the clock on the wall. "In about an hour."  
  
Johnathan stood up. "Allright. Just remember Clark, people aren't always who they appear to be. You of all people should realize that. Alex may look nice and act nice, but that could be a mask."  
  
Clark nodded. "I know. But she isn't hiding anything. I know it." 


	10. Confrontations

Clark ran down the stars toward the front door. Once there he opened it just as the door bell rang for a second time. Clark saw Amaya standing, dressed casually yet still amazing stunning. "Come on in." said Clark as he stepped out of her way, holding the door open for her.  
  
"Thank you." she said, hugging Clark tenderly before taking off her coat and shoes. She stepped inside ahead of Clark, looking around the doorframe to the kitchen seeing Martha and Johnathan.  
  
"You don't have to worry, they know. They're allright with it." whispered Clark as the two walked into the kitchen.  
  
"Thank you." Alex whispered.  
  
Martha and Johnathan looked up, smiling at the new arrival. "Welcome to the Kent home." said Johnathan as he stood up, walking with Martha over to Alex. They both shook Alex's hand.  
  
"Hi Mr. Kent; Mrs. Kent. I'm Alexandra." she responded as politly as she could.  
  
"Dinner is just about ready. You're welcome to come and sit down." said Martha as she turned for the pots and pans on the counter. Johnathan returned to the table, where he was just finishing setting out plates. All of the time he smiled at Alex, being nice.  
  
Or at least pretending too. Clark knew that his father wouldn't dare take his eyes off of her for fear she's try to burn the house down in a fit of unguided rage.  
  
"Thank you." Alex responded, sitting down at the table beside Clark and where Martha would sit. She was right across from Johnathan. "This looks wonderful!" she commented, seeing some of the food that was sitting at the table. "I havn't had real food in ages. Well, by real I don't mean fake I mean processed. Frozen stuff or TV dinners. Not that there's anything wrong with them, it's just they start tasting the same after you eat them day after day... oh my god, I'm sorry. I ramble when I'm nervous."  
  
"Nervous? Why would you be nervous?" asked Johnathan.  
  
Clark's eyes widened. It seemed nightmares were creeping into his real life. Clark pretended to cough. "So, dad, what did you do today?"  
  
Alex laughed. "Oh, Clark." she said. "Mr. Kent, I'm nervous because I'm trying to make a good impression on you."  
  
Johnathan leaned back in his seat. "Straight to the point?"  
  
Alex smiled in reply. "Anything else and you would've known it was a lie. And even if that wasn't the case, it wouldn't do anybody any good by hiding something so trivial from you."  
  
Clark turned to Johnathan, and smiled. 'See?' he thought.  
  
"Allright... the chicken looks done." announced Martha she grabbed the pot with both hands and lifted it off the counter. She started bringing it over to the table. Suddenly her feet slipped on some moisture on the ground, and she started falling forward with the pot with the chicken flying out of her hands. Martha braced herself for the fall, but it never came. Martha opened her eyes to see that she was hovering just above the ground, by just a few inches. Slowly something pushed her back up to her feet.  
  
She Alexandra staring directly at Martha, with those penetrating black eyes. One of her hands was outstretched towards, the other was slung over her shoulder towards the pot and chicken, which was hanging in midair. Martha suddenly realized what was going on... telekenesis that Clark had mentioned. It was a good thing too, because the hot pot was flying towards johnathan, who was currently staring in amazement at the still food.  
  
After Martha was safetly to her feet Alex turned her head towards the chicken pot, of which she gently lowered it to the table in place. "Are you allright, Mrs. Kent?" asked Alex, turning back to Clark's mother.  
  
"I'm fine... just fine..." said Martha as she sat down in her seat, a bit shaky. "That was amazing." she said, noticing Clark's smile that seemed to say 'I told you so'.  
  
"Thank you." replied Alex.  
  
"That was something." said Johnathan, cutting into the chicken. He gave the first cut to Alex, then to Clark, then to Martha, then to himself. "So, Alex, what are you interested in?"  
  
Alex scooped up some carrots as the salt shaker hovered upwards, releasing salt onto the carrots while Alex put more on. "Photography, psycology... uh... music, genetics, and now this town."  
  
"Oh?" asked Martha. "Why so interested in Smallville?"  
  
"Chloe gave me some back issues of the Torch and access to some of her research. It's amazing what the meteors have done to this town and the people... it's absolutly incredible. It's a wonder the FBI hasn't come in and shut Smallville down for good."  
  
"Don't tell you believe those wise-tales." said Johnathan, digging his fork into a pile of peas.  
  
Alex smiled, looking at Clark. "I have one good reason to believe them. Well, two if you include my family."  
  
"You're family?" queried Johnathan.  
  
"Yes. My family shares my gifts. If you can call them that." she replied.  
  
"Why wouldn't you call them gifts?"  
  
Alex paused, swallowing a large piece of chicken. "Gifts aren't supposed to make you ashamed of them, or make you wish you never had them. And above all they shouldn't make people afraid of you, and prejudge you to be a monster, Mr. Kent."  
  
Johnathan glanced at Clark. "Those are some pretty strong feelings." he said.  
  
Alex smiled again. "They don't matter. I mean, you and Mrs. Kent are godsent. In Edge City as soon as I told someone, particularly boyfriends, about my abilities they would run away or start calling me a freak of nature. Then there was one boy... he was shaken up about it, but ok with it. Then his parents found out." she said, stopping there. She took a deep breath. "It's just nice to meet people who care about who you are, not just what."  
  
Just then the phone rang.  
  
"I'll get it." said Clark, bolting upwards for the phone. He reached it, took it in his hand, and held it up to his ear.  
  
"Hello?" asked Clark.  
  
i"Hey Clark, this is Pete. Listen, I'm at the hospital, I tried getting you at school but I couldn't find you. And the line has been busy at your place for hours."/i  
  
"Lines must have been down... must be the storm. Wait, hospital? Pete what's wrong?"  
  
i"Lana's here. Something happened to her at school. The doctor's aren't saying anything yet. I'm here with Mr. Sullivan and Chloe. I just thought you might want to come down."/i  
  
"Of course, Pete, I'll be right there." Clark said, hangin up the phone. He turned to the table, of which all of the it's occupants were staring at him in worry. "I need to go to the hospital. Lana is there, she got hurt at school and she's been there ever since." Clark said, heading for the door. "I'm sorry Alex. If you want to come to the hospital you can, but I could be there a while. Goodbye mom; dad." Clark said as he raced out the door.  
  
Alex turned to Martha and Johnathan. They both looked concerned for Alex, after all she had just been left by her date. "Mrs. Kent, this chicken is delicious." she said, her voice a bit unsteady, trying to pretend nothing happened.  
  
"Alex, are you allright? Clark has a way of... shifting priority suddenly." said Martha.  
  
Alex nodded. "I'm fine. I understand. Clark feels a great deal of responsibility, anything that happens to his family or friends he would consider his fault."  
  
"Oh?" asked Johnathan. "That's pretty accurate. How do you know that?"  
  
Alex stuck her fork into her chicken, using her knife to cut off another chunk rather quickly, getting a bit frustrated with it. "It was written, well, felt, in the nightmare he showed me. If you ask me he has the weight of the world on his shoulders, and he doesn't realize it." she said, off-hand. "Could you please pass me the brocolli?" 


	11. Monsters

Clark ran into the waiting room, seeing the Sullivans and Pete sitting in a corner. But there was a fourth figure... Mel. She had come from Metropolis. Kent ran up to the group, giving a short greeting. "Pete, how is Lana?"  
  
"Clark, she's in a coma. She had a heart attack and convulsions from something, then slipped into the coma."  
  
"Heart attack?!" exclaimed Clark. "Didn't that happen to her date... what's his name..."  
  
"Kevin. Yeah, he's slipped into a coma as well. So have four other people in Smallville." said Chloe, joining the conversation. "The doctors think it's some sort of toxin." she explained. "They say it's unlike anything they've seen before."  
  
Clark took a deep breath. "How is she doing?"  
  
Sullivan spoke up. "Lana is stable, along with the other five. But that doesn't much. The sixth, some guy visiting from metropolis, was in stable condition before all of his vitals just stopped." Chloe said, joining the conversation. Her voice was was trembling in fear. "The doctors can't find anything in the blood stream, so it might be a virus of some kind... or this could be some sort of coincidence... or another meteor incident..."  
  
"Chloe, calm down. Everything is going to be allright." said Clark, wrapping his arms around her. But the hug was just as much for Chloe as it was for Clark. One of Clark's worst fear was coming true: Lana was dying, and she could go at any second. And Clark couldn't do ianything/i to help her. "It's going to be allright." he repeated, looking around the hospital room. Everyone was grim, and so were the other gatherings of family. Probably other patients in the same condition Lana was in.  
  
The doctor came into the waiting room, heading for the group. "Hello, I'm Dr. Alice Masterson. You must be Mel." she said, shaking the woman's hand.  
  
Mel shook her head yes, unable to respond vocally without breaking out into more tears.  
  
"I've been looking after Lana. I won't lie to you, she isn't in good condition, but we hope to be able to pull her through it."  
  
"What happened to her?" asked Chloe, almost angry.  
  
Alice blinked, turning to the annoying teenager. "We think she might have ingested or have been exposed to a toxin, or have been introduced to an unknown virus. But this is pure speculation."  
  
"Was she conscious? At all?" asked Chloe again.  
  
"She was semi-conscious for a few seconds just before she slipped into a coma."  
  
Clark swallowed. "Did she say anything? Anything that would give us a clue?"  
  
"Not really. She was rambling, just like the others."  
  
"The others said things too?" asked Clark, homing in on that point.  
  
"Yes. They were very similar, but that was just an overactive brain before it shut down."  
  
"What did she say?" asked Chloe, stepping closer to the doctor. She was treating the doctor as if she was the enemy, the foe to be conquered.  
  
In a way Clark felt that too. The doctors needed to understand that this was iLana/i they were dealing with.  
  
The doctor looked down on her clipboard. "Okay... 'help me', 'get away', 'get out of me', 'stop', and 'this isn't real'. That was all. That was about the same as the other patients, so whatever is affecting them is triggering the same psycological stresses." she explained. "If worse comes to worse we may have to airlift Ms. Lang to Metropolis for more diagnostics. Now, if you will excuse me I would like to run another MRI on her." the doctor said, leaving the overly defensive crowd.  
  
Clark sat down in the one of the chairs, resting his head on his hand. What had happened to Lana? What was happening to everyone else who was being affected? If it was a virus, everyone in Smallville could be vulnerable. Everybody could have the virus inside of them allready, just waiting to lose it's dormancy... it could happen to Clark, too. He knew first hand that he was vulnerable to a strong enough contagion, even though the only one to ever affect him was of kryptonite.  
  
Kent looked at Mr. Sullivan. "May I please borrow your phone, sir?"  
  
Mr. Sullivan managed a weak smile. "Only if you promise never to call me sir again." he said, pulling the small phone out of his pocket. He tossed it to Clark.  
  
Kent opened it, dialing his number. He was for the phone to be answered.  
  
i"Hello?"/i  
  
"Hi mom, it's me." said Clark. "I'm at the hospital."  
  
i"Clark, is everything ok?"/i  
  
"No." replied Clark. "Not exactly. Something is happening to some people in Smallville, including Lana. The doctors think it may be a toxin or a virus... mom, please try to stay at home. The contagion could be airborne and be floating outside or in a certain part of town."  
  
i"Allright, Clark. Thank you for the warning. Is that all? Yes? Okay, goodnight sweetie."/i  
  
"Wait, mom," said Clark, his voice fluctuating, "I love you."  
  
i"I love you to, Clark. I'll see you at the hospital tomorrow or when you come home."/i  
  
Click.  
  
Clark looked at the clock. He had been there for all of five minutes, but it felt far longer. Was Lana allright? Was she going to talk out of this unharmed? Or would she die, or end up a cripple as so many victims like this do? How would she react to that? What could he, Clark, do to help her?  
  
Nothing. That's what he could do. Kent couldn't do anything to help Lana, no matter how much he needed to.  
  
Alexandra watched Martha on the phone, talking to Clark. Mercer was sitting at the table, nibbling on Mrs. Kent's truly wonderful apple pie. She watched intently, hoping that Clark would ask to speak to her.  
  
Click.  
  
Alex lowered her head, staring at the pie. He didn't. She was alone at the table, Johnathan had gone outside to do some more farmwork before the sun was set for too long. "This is wonderful." repeated Alex as Martha came back from the phone.  
  
Martha smiled. "Thank you dear, again. I'm sorry for Clark. He has a... one-track mind."  
  
"And he's been derailed from mine." replied Alex, now inhaling a chunk of Martha's pie. "I guess I shouldn't feel like this. I mean, his best friend is in the hospital."  
  
Martha shook her head. "That's no reason to just run away like that. But Alex, Clark may drift his focus for a time, but it always slides back to what's really importent to him." she explained. "And he may not be back tonight."  
  
Alex nodded. "Allright. Goodnight, Mrs. Kent." she said, standing up to head for the door.  
  
"Alex, wait." said Martha, "Clark mentioned something about a virus or toxin... you can stay here if you would like. I would drive you, but Clark took our truck. Staying were would be safer than walking home."  
  
"Oh no..." she started, pausing to think about it. "Okay, maybe I will stay, if you are absolutly sure I'm not imposing."  
  
"Of course not." said Martha. "Our couch isn't very comfortable, you could sleep in Clark's room since he's not here. He wouldn't mind."  
  
"Um... okay." said Alex. "If you don't mind I'm fairly tired."  
  
Martha thought it strange to be going to sleep this early. "No, of course I don't mind. Sweet dreams." said Martha as she sat down at the kitchen, picking up a book.  
  
Alexandra walked up the steps to the unfamiliar house, seeing many doors. Which one was Clark's? 'That one.' she thought, looking at the one half open with some jeans laying on the ground blocking the door from fully shutting. She opened it, seeing that the rest of the room was't any tidier. Alex laughed slightly when she walked over to the mirror, removing the red shirt draped over it's surface. Mercer looked into the mirror, gazing at herself. She was surprised at how tired she looked. But now she could rest... not just for tonight, but she could finally slow down and just be. That was only possibly here in Smallville.  
  
Mercer looked to the bed, taking off her overcoat. She layed down in it, the light switch switching off with a single one of her thoughts. She started laying on her side, looking out the window at the settig sun. She really was tired to be going to bed this early. She eventually closed her eyes, trying to calm her thoughts.  
  
A yell. Alexandra opened the door without moving, Mr. and Mrs. Kent were fighting about something... Alex usually didn't snoop, but she wanted to make sure she really wasn't being a nuisance.  
  
"You invited her to stay overnight?" Johnathan asked.  
  
"Johnathan it could be dangerous for her to walk home. Do you want to put her in danger?"  
  
"Martha, you could be putting us in danger. You know what she can do. What else do we know about her?"  
  
"Johnathan stop! She is a sweet girl."  
  
"You've judged her to be completely trustworthy from one dinner? Martha, that kid can be idangerous/i. We have no idea how powerful she really is, or what she really wants. Every other freak-"  
  
"Johnathan!"  
  
"Allright, I'm sorry, every other ialtered/i person Clark has faced before has tried to kill someone."  
  
"Clark has only found these kryptonite altered people while trying to help a victim. Have you ever thought that the majority of people in Smallville affected by the meteors are really normal people?"  
  
"That's beside the point, Martha, and you know it. They are still dangerous. The fact is we know nothing that we have no idea who Alex really is, or what she wants with Clark. All we do know is that Clark is blindly infatuated with her. She's a telepath, how do we know she's not planting these emotions in Clark's head? How do we know that she's not going to try and hurt us while we're sleeping?"  
  
Alex gripped her pillow, which had soaked up tears. She understood Mr. Kent's fears... but Alex's belief that both of Clark's parents were different was being shattered. Johnathan had been lying at dinner. He was just pretending to put the least bit of trust in her with his family.  
  
"Johnathan, that's absurd."  
  
"I don't think it is." replied Mr. Kent. "Martha, we let her into our home. But now she's staying? Martha we have ino idea/i about who she really is. She could really be the nice girl that we saw at dinner, or she could be a monster." Johnathan said. Suddenly he turned towards the stairs as he heard movement.  
  
Alex reached the bottom of the stairs. She put on her jacket.  
  
Martha's eyes widened. Alexandra had been hearing their conversation. "Alex, dear..." she said, seeing Alex's cheeks soaked.  
  
Mercer looked at Johnathan. "No thank you, Mrs. Kent. I'm not welcome." she said, trying to wipe the moisture away.  
  
Johnathan remained quiet.  
  
"Alex, wait. You're always welcome here." Martha said, trying again.  
  
"She's right. Alex, please stay. I'm sorry for what I said." said Johnathan, sounding defeated.  
  
Alex reached for the door. "Mr. Kent, I'd appreciate it if you didn't lie to me. We both know that's not true. I inever/i wanted to hurt Clark, or you." she said. "I can't help who I am, Mr. Kent." she said, stepping out the door. She closed it gently behind her, walking down the steps leaving the home behind. She walked down the driveway, hearing both Martha and Johnathan fighting again. Mercer knew that leaving like that was completely immature, and that it wouldn't help anybody, but she just couldn't stay there. 


	12. Family

Two days later Clark opened the door to the Kent house, stepping side. "Mom, I'm home!" Clark yelled out. "Hello?"  
  
"I'm in here, sweetie."  
  
Kent turn to see Martha in the kitchen reading her book. "They braught Lana to the hospital in Metropolis. Her condition hasn't changed."  
  
"I'm sorry to hear that Clark." said Martha. "Do they know what caused it?"  
  
"There are no signs of toxins, and no sign of a virus." said Clark. "So that rules out everything the doctors thought was wrong. The probably means that kryponite is involved. Oh, how is Alex?"  
  
"I don't know. We havn't seen her since dinner."  
  
"So, how did things go when I was left? I still have to apologize to her." commented Clark.  
  
"Well," Martha started, "The thing is..."  
  
"So, you and Clark looked pretty cozzy at the dance."  
  
Alex sat down on Chloe's bed, watching Chloe at her desk typing up her article. "Clark is great guy." she responded.  
  
Chloe bit her bottom lip. She knew that, more than Alexandra knew. "Yeah. You should be proud, I mean, you made Clark dance. In front of ipeople/i. In our school play, in grade eight, he was supposed to dance with Lana, but in front of everybody he just froze. It was the funniest thing you had ever seen." she said, laughing.  
  
Alex laughed too. "I'm surprised he wasn't allready with someone."  
  
"Clark isn't the most open person. Almost nobody knows Clark enough or can get close enough to ask him out, and he seemed perfectly fine in his lonesome." Chloe said, hiding pain. "I'm surprised he agreed to go the dance instead of making up some bad excuse."  
  
"I don't know either. But he did... that I'm thankful for. At first when I saw him I was thinking 'wow, he's hot' so I tried. But then after the dance we talked for the longest time. Now it's more than just an attraction. Is that possible, Chloe? Can you start really loving someone in only a day?"  
  
Chloe thought about it. "I think so, for the right people. What makes you feel more for him?"  
  
"I don't know exactly... there's so much about him. And he was open to me, he trusted me after I trusted him."  
  
Chloe stopped typing for just a second, in surprise. "Wow, you and Clark must be really hitting it off. He's one of the most concieling people I know. If I were to trust anyone with a secret it would be Clark. I just hate how he's so overprotective all of the time."  
  
Alex nodded. "He probably gets it from his parents."  
  
"Oh? You've met them?"  
  
"Yeah." replied Alex, her voice trailing off. "Could've gone better. But that doesn't matter. So, what're you writing about?"  
  
"Oh, nothing." said Chloe. "Just about a bunch of freightened people around Smallville."  
  
Alex looked at the computer screen. "Oh?" she asked, her voice sounding worried.  
  
"Some people around Smallville have been seeing things. Normally that wouldn't be of any interest but the doctors reviewed some of Lana's charts and the other victims, they all had heightened adrenaline levels. At first they thought this was from the heart attack, but it looks like the adrenaline was present before the heart attack."  
  
"They were scared to death?" asked Alex.  
  
Chloe laughed slightly. "I highly doubt that. The doctors, and me included, think that it's just a side effect of some toxin. After all if they were scared, then the comas are all coincidences."  
  
"I guess you're right." said Alex, partially at ease. But that feeling was coming back. She would have to talk with grandpa... he would help her. If he could. Then again maybe this was all in her head.  
  
"Dad, how could you do that?!" yelled Clark, walking outside with Martha trailing behind, trying to catch the son. She had just informed Clark of everything that happened.  
  
Johnathan put the last hay-bail in the back of the truck, turning to his son. "Clark, she wasn't supposed to hear that."  
  
"That doesn't matter! You said you would give her a chance, and then you start calling her a monster in front of her face as soon as I'm gone?"  
  
"I didn't say it to her face, Clark."  
  
"Oh, so everything's allright then." said Clark, sarcasticly. "Dad, why can't you just accept that she's inormal/i. Alex isn't going to suck the age out of you, what's left of it, she's not going to steal body heat from mom, and she isn't going to try and eat me alive!" he screamed.  
  
"Clark I'm only trying to protect this family." he said, stepping closer to Clark. "Why can't you understand that?"  
  
"iProtect from what?!/i So far the only person around here who has been hurting me is you! Dad, I'm not a little kid anymore. I know Alex, she doesn't want to hurt anybody." he said.  
  
"I'm trying to look out for you!"  
  
"You have!" Clark yelled. "I couldn't join football I might accidently hurt someone. I couldn't join the track team because in of the moment I could reveal my secret. I couldn't spend too much time with Lex because he might discover me. I had to beg you just to be let to go to Pete's house when I was a kid, because you weren't around and I could just splurt out what I really was and what I could do. Dad, you've been controlling my entire life trying to protect me, so I can have a normal life, I understand that. But now that I start having even the islightest/i bit of a normal life, like everyone else has, you try and drive it away."  
  
His father was silent was silent.  
  
"He's right, Johnathan." said Martha.  
  
"Dad, just trust me."  
  
Johnathan took a deep breath, thinking deeply. "Clark, she is not part of a normal life. She is dangerous, and I will be suspicious until I have proof. I apologized to Alex for saying those things in haste, she didn't accept it."  
  
"Guilty until proven innocent?"  
  
"When it comes to your safety yes."  
  
Clark fumed, turning away. He saw Alex who had just appeared in her old beat-up car at the end of the driveway. Feeling a bit better, Clark ran over to her. "I'm sorry for disappearing. And I'm iso/i sorry for my dad. He had no right to act like that."  
  
Alex nodded. "It's allright. I just came over and was wondeing if you wanted to come to the Talon with me. Chloe and Pete are making some stuff for Lana as a get-well present."  
  
Clark smiled and said yes, sitting in the passenger side seat.  
  
Meanwhile Johnathan watched Clark get in the car, heading down the road for town. He knew Clark was right... to an extent. But Clark really didn't know the girl. He had only known her for a few days, and thought he was in love with her. Maybe he was right, but Johnathan couldn't take that chance. Not with Clark. Ignoring the accusing stare at him, Johnathan walked back into the house. 


	13. Terrors

Clark sat at the kitchen table eating breakfast: scrambled eggs with sausage, some pancakes and bacon. Martha had made this especially large breakfast, hoping to smooth things over between Clark and his dad. It didn't. The teenager didn't even try to talk with his dad, and Johnathan didn't speak to his son. They were both too angry at one another. Now Clark was eating alone, eating a second plate of whatever was left. Clark knew he couldn't stay angry at his father forever, after all it had been over a week since he and Johnathan had faught, when Clark had come home from the hospital.  
  
It was a saturday, and Clark had nothing planned except lunch with Alex. He was looking forward to it. So far in the past week he had been seeing Alexandra daily, except for the day he spent in Metropolis when Lana took a turn for the worse. But the doctors managed to stabalize her condition, so Clark had returned to Smallville the next day.  
  
As of now, Lana was still in the hospital. So were a total of thirteen people, all in Smallville. The town was now being put in a basic quarenteen. But that wasn't affecting life much in Smallville, except for those working on Metropolis. Those people, after passing a physical exam, were being subsidized by the government to live in hotels in Metropolis until the quarenteen was lifted.  
  
Clark, Lana, Pete and Alex had all worked together to make several get-well gifts for Lana that were delivered. Of course Lana couldn't see them or even know they were there, but she would once she woke up. If she woke up.  
  
Clark snapped to attention. He couldn't think like that. Lana was going to get better, and hopfully everyone else affected would soon get better.  
  
Kent ate the rest of the bacon, then stood up to bring his empty plate to the sink. Walking over he suddenly dropped the plate, hearing it shatter on the floor. Clark bent down to pick up the pieces, but he was having trouble moving. Clark fell down to the ground. "Help... me..." Clark tried to say, his voice suddenly not working. He heard someone behind him.  
  
"Hey Clark." heard Clark. It was Alex. Alex was above him. Clark moved his head, trying to look at her. He did. She smiled as her eyes started glowing a strong green, laughing. "Clark, I lied to you before. I did have one boyfriend who accepted me. And you ikilled/i him. That's why I'm going to kill you Clark, along with everyone else in this town. Just imagine poor, sweet Lana... I can kill her at any second, Clark. I'm linked with her at the hospital."  
  
"No..." said Clark. How could he have been so wrong about Alex?  
  
She kneeled down to the paralyzed Clark, kissing him tenderly on the lips. Suddenly Clark felt pain, running through his head... Clark screamed out, he knew this was an attack by Alex.  
  
"You see Clark, I know all of your secrets. I know what ihurts/i you. And you're going to ipay/i for what was stolen from me." she said, reaching into her pocket. She braught out a piece of kryptonite. She hovered it in front of Clark's face, watching him wince in pain.  
  
To Clark's horror and compplete inability to prevent, she opened Clark's mouth and stuck the meteor into Clark's mouth.  
  
"Goodbye, Clark..."  
  
Kent started coughing. He couldn't stop the spreading pain that was filling his entire body. She continued her telepathic assault, which was making every nerve in his mind feel like it was on fire. Clark tried to move his tongue, to push the kryptonite out, but he couldn't. He was powerless to prevent his death, and now Alex was going to kill everyone... kill everyone...  
  
"No!" screamed Clark, his body jolting into an upright position. Clark coughed several times, making sure there was nothing in his mouth... there was he? He looked around, seeing his room. 'Another nightmare...' thought Clark, standing up. This one was worse than the last, and the last was worse than the one before that.  
  
"Clark, for the last time, get up! It's almost lunchtime!" Martha yelled, from downstairs.  
  
Clark blinked. Lunchtime... how long was he asleep? A while, aparently. 'Date!' he thought. He needed to meet Alex at the Talon. Clark threw on his clothes, thinking about the nightmare. Is that how much he really trusted Alex on a subconscious level? Had he let his dad get inside his head?  
  
"I'm up!" replied Clark, giving one last look at himself in the mirror. Suddenly Clark stopped, he just stared at himself in the mirror. He was having trouble concentrating. Someone was speaking to him. It wasn't Johnathan or Martha, someone was here... trying to talk to him."  
  
i'Clark!'/i  
  
Clark blinked. Who said that? He couldn't figure out where the voice came from. It was like it came from everywhere. He identified the voice as Alex, but it was distorted. Much quieter. Then it hit Clark, she was using her telepathy to give him a message. Clark closed his eyes, awaiting more message...  
  
iClark! Help me!/i  
  
Kent's eyes widened. Alex needed help. Or did she? Was this just another bad daydream?  
  
Suddenly he didn't see the mirror anymore. He was running, through alleyways in Smallville. Afraid, alone. Calling out for help. Someone was chasing him. He was reaching out for someone...  
  
This was what Alex was experiencing, realized Clark. Who was she running from? It didn't matter. Clark needed to get to downtown Smallville quickly! Without saying goodbye to either his mother or father Clark raced outdoors using his speed, heading for Smallville. Alex needed his help.  
  
'Soon, sooner, soonest...' the figure thought. The boy was coming, quickly. His body didn't obey the laws of time, but this he allready knew. 'Quick, quicker, quickest.' That's what Clark was. He would be here any second, then he would trap the extraordinary child. He alone would kill everyone here, it would teach the girl a lesson. She would never run to anyone else, she would give up. She wouldn't risk hurting more. She wouldn't risk defying ihim/i again. 


	14. Faster

Faster. Faster! Clark wasn't going fast enough. He poured on as much energy as his legs could take, trying to get there faster. Alex was in trouble, she kept on repeating that in his mind. Clark saw her an eternity later, in reality he had reached her location in less than three seconds, but it was still an impossibly long time for Clark. He saw her running down the street, with epople staring her.  
  
Clark stood in front of her, grasping her shoulders.  
  
Alex stopped for a second, probing Kent's mind, making sure it was really him. "Clark!" she exclaimed once she realized it was him. She threw her arms around him. She stepped back. "Clark, you have to get me out of here. He's going to be here any second!"  
  
Clark looked past her. "What? Who's going to be here?"  
  
"Me." said a voice from behind him.  
  
Clark felt himself flying upwards, over Alex. He landed on the ground after flying the full height of the closed Talon beside him. Clark stood up, turning around to face who had done that. He saw Alex there, terrified, in front of a man who's eyes were glowing a striking green. He was taller than Alex, but looked so much like her...  
  
Alex tried to run again, down the alleyway beside the Talon. But she suddenly stopped, hovering several feet in the air.  
  
This was all going too fast for Kent. It was taking his brain too long to register what was happening... the man was suspending Alex in midair. Alexandra was terrified of him, and needed to get away as soon as possible. Clark raced forward, checking the tall man as hard as he could.  
  
The man went flying, and Alex fell to the ground. Clark needed to get away, out of range of this guy's telekenesis. Clark got up as fast as he could racing for Alex. He scooped her into his arms, still running, and headed down the alley.  
  
"Run Clark..." muttered Alex who was almost fully conscious.  
  
Clark did that, trying to run from the man. But Clark suddenly stopped, he was blocked by a wall. "This isn't supposed to be here!" he yelled, in frustration.  
  
Alex looked at it, trying to stay awake. Clark now saw a giant gash on her head, she had hit it when falling from the man's mental hold. "Not real... don't believe anything you see, or hear... just get away."  
  
Clark nodded. She ran forward, stepping right through the wall. He would have to remember the way through these alleys by membery, not by what he was sensing. Clark ran and ran, but suddenly couldn't see. Day had become night.  
  
Kent turned around, seeing the man with green eyes staring at him from a slight distance. Clark started racing again. The man could follow the two whereever they went. Clark needed somewhere he could hide with her, someplace that might disrupt the man's telepathic ability. Nothing on Earth could possible provide that kind of shelter.  
  
Except one.  
  
Clark ran and ran, going faster than when he had arrived. He ran through suddenly walls, he ran past people on the ground screaming for help, he ran past everything he knew wasn't real. He ran into the forest, still feeling the presense of the man invading his mind. 'Get out!'  
  
There it was. The entrance to the cave. Clark ran inside with Alex, feeling the man's presense in his mind fading. But was it real? Or did the man know Clark's plan and he weas tricking him? Was Clark trapping himself? He went deeper. Clark entered the main cavern, placing Alex against a wall. The man was gone from his mind. Maybe Clark was right... maybe the cave was working. Clark knew that the cave had things in it and in the walls that were kryptonian, and that could interfere with the man's powers.  
  
Clark sat, staring at the entrance to this cavern, ready to blast anything that came through with a heat ray. But nobody entered the cave. Clark didn't know how long he had spent in there, but he only came out of a watchful trance when Alex started stiring.  
  
"Clark?" she asked, opened her eyes. "Where are we?"  
  
"A cave. We're safe here." replied Clark.  
  
Alex closed her eyes again, intentionally. She was concentrating on something. "I can't sense anything outside of this place." she reported. "That's never happened before."  
  
"It's the cave. My ancestors built it... when he came to Earth."  
  
Alex's eyes widened in realization. "So you weren't just affected by the meteors, you're an alien. I guess you people are the one who gave my family the power of mind." she said, still sounding freightened. "Does he know we're in here?"  
  
"I don't think so." replied Clark. "Otherwise he would have come in allready. Alex... who is he? He has the same powers as you do, and he looks the same-"  
  
"He's my brother." replied Alex, cutting him off. "Older brother."  
  
Clark nodded, though that answer braught up more questions.  
  
"Clark, he's not like me. He's insane." she said, her eyes watering. "I thought I ran away for good... but he found me. Now he hurt Lana and all of those people to get back at me."  
  
"He's the one who's responsible for the heart attacks?"  
  
Alex nodded. "At first I tried to deny it, but everything was there. Clark, he'll take peoples' worst fears and uses that to kill them. He said that's the worst way to possibly die."  
  
Kent was about to ask why, but Alex cut him off again.  
  
"Clark, what are you afraid of?"  
  
Clark laughed. "Heights. Snakes. The dark. Green rocks... let's just say too many things." he said, lightening the mood.  
  
Alex laughed too. "The dark? Why's that?"  
  
"Dad says it was because of a camping trip I took when I was little." said Clark.  
  
"Show me." said Alex, trying to get her mind over the present. Anything else than what was really happening. Even now Clark didn't understand, and she wasn't going to inform him of everything unless he really needed to know. Alex moved closer to Clark, hovering her fingers over his temples. "Just think of that trip." she said. Alex hoped Clark had no idea of what she was really going to do. 


	15. Casualities

Clarky sat back, staring at the campfire that Jonathan had just set. The small 7-year-old was sitting on the ground, beside Pete, talking with him about school and about just how evil Mr. Column was. "Daaaaaad can we go for a hike?"  
  
"Clark, no, it's dark." replied Jonathan. "It's too dangerous."  
  
"But dad..."  
  
"Clark, I said no. Now once your mother gets back from Smallville with the marshmellows we can eat. You like marshmellows, don't you?"  
  
Clark shook his head. "No. They taste icky and when they melt they can stick to the back of my throat and then I can choke and then I'll fall down."  
  
Jonathan raised an eyebrow. "What on Earth have you been watching?"  
  
"I like them, Mr. Clark's Dad." Pete said. "My dad took me camping last summer."  
  
Jonathan smiled. "Well, I'll be in the tent setting up the inflatable beds for you guys. Stay near the fire, but not to close, holler if you need anything."  
  
"Okay dad." said Clark, turning to Pete. "I don't like camping. It's dirty."  
  
Pete smiled. "Let's go for a hike."  
  
Clark frowned. "But dad said I couldn't. I have to listen to him."  
  
"Come onnnnnnn Clark. I went hiking down this path before, I know everything about it. It'll be fun."  
  
"I don't know..."  
  
"Come on, Clark." said Pete. "I promise it will be fun!"  
  
"Okay. But fast because I don't want dad to see."  
  
Clark and Pete stood up, tiptoeing from the campsite clearing into the forest along an almost unseeable dirt path. "It's cold." complained Clark.  
  
"No it's not." said Pete. "I'm not cold." he said, continuing along the path.  
  
Clark grumbled. "There's bug on my face." he said, trying to swat them away. "And they're big."  
  
"Clark! Pete!"  
  
Both of the boys froze at Jonathan yelling for them. He had come out of the tent and they weren't there. "We have to go back!" said Clark, turning around.  
  
"Okay..." said Pete, his voice getting worried. Mr. Clark's Dad would be mad at them. Pete started running for the campsite, ahead of Clark.  
  
Kent, trying too hard, ran off of the path and into a group of trees. For an instant they seemed to go by really quickly, as if he was running really fast. Where was he? Clark stopped looked around but he couldn't see the campsite. Everything was so dark he couldn't see anything except the outlines of trees from the faint moonlight. He couldn't hear his dad anymore.  
  
Clark started calling out for 'daddy'. Where was he? Was he lost? What if there were animals around? The boy started crying. Clark wouldn't see daddy again because he didn't listen to them. He started running around in circles, until he triped on a root sticking out of the ground.  
  
Kent fell face-forward into a bunch of muck. He raised his face out of the mud, trying to wipe his eyes clean of it. Clark opened his eyes, looking at the ground. Something moved. A snake!  
  
Clark jumped back, landing on his behind. There was another snake, that Clark saw slithering beside his hand. He jumped to his feet. There was snakes everywhere!  
  
"So, this is your fear."  
  
Clark turned to see a strange women standing there. No, she wasn't strange, it was Alex! Suddenly Clark wasn't seven years old anymore, he was back to himself. He still stoof there in that place with the snakes, but Clark knew none of that was real. "Yeah." Clark said, seeing Alex with a tear forming. "What's wrong?"  
  
"Clark, I need to explain something to you. Then I need to tell you something after."  
  
Suddenly Clark wasn't Clark anymore. She was seeing through the eyes of a twelve-year-old girl, in a house. S/he was standing in the doorframe along with her older brother. "Justin, stop it!"  
  
Justin looked at her younger sister. "You don't like mom either, sis."  
  
Clark/Alex just kept on staring at the bedroom, with her mom sleeping on the bed, stirring and crying out for help. "Stop it! you're going to hurt her!" s/he screamed, looking at Justin. Why were his eyes glowing like that? S/he looked back at mom. She wasn't moving anymore. "No!" she said, breaking out in more tears.  
  
"Be quiet!" yelled Justin. "You'll wake up the neighbors."  
  
"Make her wake up!"  
  
"I can't. She's never going to wake up again. She's always so mean to us, now she got what she deserved. Nobody tells me what to do."  
  
S/he looked back and forth between Justin and mom. Justin was bad. Clark/Alex had to get the police! S/he ran through the hallway towards the phone, but suddenly there was a new wall that s/he almost ran into. "Let me go!" she cried. "You can't do that to mommy." she said, wailing.  
  
"I'll do whatever I damned well want." said Justin, outstretching his arm.  
  
Clark/Alex felt themself flying backward, gently being hovered in midair above Justin who had those glowing eyes. He was the strongest, even now stronger than him/her and mom and dad and even grandpa. Those eyes were a sign of it. "I said let me go! HELP!"  
  
"Nobody tells me what to do... especially not you!"  
  
Suddenly Clark was back in the forest with Alex. "Oh my god... I had no idea..." stammered Clark.  
  
Alex gulped. "He started saying that he was older and stronger, he owned me. Dad started saying that too. They wouldn't let me leave the house. At night they would..." she started, but broke out in more tears. Clark realized that was a common theme the past week. "At night they would start... touching me. They kept on saying that I belonged to them."  
  
Clark embraced Alex, trying to comfort her.  
  
"But I ran away from edge city, I went where they wouldn't expect. I came to live with grandpa. They knew I was scared of him, so they would never look here. But I'm not afraid of him anymore."  
  
"But Justin found you."  
  
Alex nodded. "Yes. He's going to drag me back to edge city to that house. Him and dad are going to start doing it again."  
  
"No they won't." said Clark. "We'll tell the police."  
  
"No! He'll just kill them. Clark, he can kill any human with just one thought. It's too dangerous. Even you can't stop just one of them, let alone two. Clark... he wants to hurt you. And... I've... I've been lying to you."  
  
"What?" asked Clark, concerned. "Whatever it is, I'll understand. I love you. I'm not going to let anybody hurt you again."  
  
Alex shook her head. "No you don't love me. Your dad was right, I'm nothing but a monster. At the Talon I put it in your head to take me on the tour, and to take me to the dance. I planted attraction in your mind Clark, to benefit myself." she confessed. "And somehow that changed into love for you. But in any case it's not real."  
  
"You're not a monster, and what I'm feeling iis/i real." Clark said, still trying to absorb what was happening. "You said you put attraction in my head. Alex, that may have opened the door, but I ilove/i you."  
  
Alex closed her eyes. "I really don't know. Maybe what I gave you grew out of control. Or maybe you really do love me. That doesn't matter though."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"My brother is trying to get me again, Clark, and he's going to kill everyone I like and everyone who likes me. Maybe if I give myself willingly to him without a fight and if you don't love me anymore then he'll let you and everyone else go."  
  
"Alex, you're not going to give yourself up. I am going to stop your brother from doing any harm, I promise. We can be together. And no matter what you say I can't stop loving you." he said, holding onto her tighter.  
  
"Clark, you don't love me. Who could? I'm a freak, just like everyone says. I'm arrogant, I'm too aggressive. I'm dangerous to everyone I'm around."  
  
Clark shook his head. "No, none of those things are true. I love you, Alex, please don't give yourself to him..."  
  
"I'm sorry, Clark. I have to go with him, it's the only way. And you have to stop loving me." she explained.  
  
"I'm not going to do that." responded Clark. "I can't."  
  
"I can." she said. "Clark, I'm sorry."  
  
With that Alex closed her eyes, raiding Clark's memories. She would destroy what she had planted there. If she was right Clark wouldn't love her anymore, and wouldn't remember anything about Justin. She found all of them. Alex concentrated... harder... there. She had irradicated those fake feelings. The only way they could ipossibly/i re-emerge is if they were real, and even then Clark would never find her. Not without what she had just told him. He would still remember her... the time he spent with her... but he wouldn't find any feelings with them. He wouldn't miss her.  
  
Clark would be safe, so would Smallville. The only casualty would be Alex.  
  
To her, that was a small price to pay.  
  
Clark awoke. What was he doing in the caves? He looked at his watch. 3:30 in the morning. Clark shrugged. He must have fallen asleep after studying the pictographs. Kent stood up, walking out of the cave. But before he left, he turned around. Something was wrong... he could feel it. Something was very wrong.  
  
Alex stood in the woods, Justin in front of her. "Do we have a deal?"  
  
Justin smiled. "You come with me, and I let all of your friends go... agreed. Now, let's get going. Dad is feeling lonely."  
  
Alex dared not cry at this. Crying was blood in the water to Justin and her dad. "Allright." she stammered, looking back towards the direction of Smallville. "Goodbye Clark." she whispered, not that he would hear. He would never hear her words again. 


	16. Hurt

"Clark, where were you?" asked Martha. "It's four in the morning!" she exclaimed, coming down the stairs.  
  
"I'm sorry mom, I fell asleep in the caves." said Clark. "I'm sorry for worrying you."  
  
She seemed to relax. "So, how did your date with Alex go? You left in such a hurry this morning we didn't see you."  
  
Clark smiled. "Mom, it wasn't a date. Alex was leaving today and I just wanted to say goodbye. We're just friends."  
  
Mrs. Kent frowned, in confusion. "You said she was moving into Smallville? And just friends?"  
  
Clark shook his head. "No I didn't. She was just staying with her grandpa for two weeks. Alex left today. And yes, we're just friends, why?"  
  
"You seemed pretty attached to her." said Martha.  
  
"Well, she's a great person. Very honest, very smart, very straight-forward. But it's not like we were romantic." Clark said, pausing. "It's too bad she couldn't have stayed longer."  
  
"Are you feeling allright?"  
  
"Of course mom, never better." he stated. "Now I'm going to go get some sleep for tomorrow, well today I suppose. Goodnight, mom." he said while quietly going up the steps to his room.  
  
Martha stood there, stunned. Maybe she and Jonathan had misread Clark? But that didn't seem possible. Clark looked so certain. Or could be in denial? Whatever it was she would let Clark deal with it.  
  
Clark stepped into his room, looking at the empty bed. Oh how he wished Alex was there... Where did that come from? Clark didn't know. He shook it off, laying down. His bed was far more comfortable than the cave. The teenage boy slowly drifted off to sleep, unable to stop the flashes of Alex filling his mind. And for the first time in almost two weeks, he slept without nightmares.  
  
And for the first time in almost two weeks, he slept without nightmares.  
  
Clark found himself in the loft.   
  
"And we've found each other." she said, inching closer. "I know you can feel it to. I've never met anyone else like you. Clark, I never want to be alone again." she said, leaning forward. Alex pressed her lips against Clark's, dragging her lower lip below his.  
  
Kent closed his eyes and kissed her tenderly back. For the first time in his life Clark didn't feel alone, out of place. Alex and him were different but the same, they knew each other in ways nobody else could possibly imagine. He didn't want to be alone again.  
  
Suddenly Clark was at school.  
  
"Going on a date?" asked Lana.  
  
"Yep. Clark is going to introduce me to his parents."  
  
Clark now saw the save paintings... his mind was filled with sadness.  
  
"What?" asked Clark, concerned. "Whatever it is, I'll understand. I love you. I'm not going to let anybody hurt you again."  
  
Clark awoke, looking at the clock. He had been asleep for all of twenty minutes. Where did those dreams come from? None of that happened. Why was his mind making up these scenarios? Was he attracted to Alex? Again, she was very attractive. Very smart, very honest. Kent started thinking more about the time they spent together. Why hadn't he seen it earlier? Why hadn't he realized it? Alex knew Clark's secret, and Clark knew Alex's. Kent couldn't figure out why he told her, but that didn't matter. She was a friend and wouldn't reveal his secret. She was a very good friend, despite such a short time together.  
  
Clark wished Alex would've stayed in Smallville. Maybe Clark would work up the courage to ask her out. Kent could defenitly see something developing with Alex. She was different from everyone else, she was the same as him. They belonged together.  
  
What was wrong with him? Alex was a friend. He hadn't felt any of these things before. Yet, the more Clark thought about what had been happening over the past two weeks, one thing was made clear to Clark: iit was wrong/i. Something wasn't right about it. And Clark remembered her going to school, why would she go to school if she was only here on vacation, like she claimed?  
  
'She is a telepath.' thought Clark. Maybe Kent could get a hold of Alex, have just one conversation with her. But he didn't know her number, or e-mail address.  
  
Her grandfather! Clark saw him at the Talon. If Clark explained the situation, maybe the grandfather would understand. Crazy Joe could give Clark Alex's number so the boy could sort some things out, and just hear her voice one more time. Now that Clark thought about it, her voice was intoxicating.  
  
Alex walked down the narrow hallway in the apartment complex, her and Justin stopped at apartment 207. Home-sweet-home.  
  
Justin waved his hand, and the door clicked and swung open. "Come on Alex, don't you miss us? Don't worry, everything will be back to normal."  
  
Alexandra gulped. For just an instant she wished she had never given in, but that was soon surpressed. She knew Clark couldn't even hope to defeat Justin. And Clark couldn't lover her anymore... no matter how much Alex loved Clark. He would die if Justin knew, her brother would do it out of jealousy, and anger towards her.  
  
She walked inside, seeing her dad sitting on the couch with a package of potato chips. His clothes were dirty, and he was watching the 20-year-old television which was showing wrestling. Alex cringed at the fact that she actually used to call him daddy, that she used to hug him, that she used to tell him how much she loved him. But that was before Justin killed mom, and before both father and son had become so power-obsessed they needed to control everything and everyone. They would just use Alex as they pleased, and she was powerless to stop them. Really powerless.  
  
"Welcome back sweetie." he called out, staring at her. He outstretched his arm.  
  
Alex felt herself being pushed and pulled at the same time, being easily deposited on a chair. Gritting her teeth she kept quiet. She didn't want to be here. She wanted to be anywhere else! But she couldn't. She would be stuck here the rest of her life, as both her dad and Justin had promised. She would never see Clark again, and could never tell him how much she truly did love him. She could never tell him how sorry she was for planting those first emotions into Clark. Of course she was grateful for those two weeks in Smallville.  
  
Mercer didn't notice her father getting up from the couch, and into the kitchen with Justin. She just kept staring at the television, oblivious to everything. She had almost done it, she was so close to living a normal life. At least she had tried. Now Alex knew there was no way to gain that life, but felt some comfort in the fact that she tried.  
  
"You let those people out of your grasp?" asked the father, very quietly and away from Alex.  
  
"No, of course not." replied Justin. "They're still in comas. I can feel their thoughts, dad. They're trying to break free."  
  
"Are they winning?"  
  
"Of course not."  
  
"What about Clark Kent? She says that she erased his memory of loving her."  
  
"Dad, I raided her mind. I have all of her memories. I think that Clark person really does love her, and that could pose a problem. He's strong." Justin said. "We can't let him live. I can't let anyone who's seen Alex in that town live, they'll start probing into where she came from. After I kill everyone there, it'll be fun to see her reaction. I love it when she's angry." 


	17. Allies

Clark drove down the road, having to put down his visor to block out the shining sun which had just peeked out behind one of the many many clouds practicly filling the entire sky. Another storm was brewing, it would hit today. Maybe tonight at the latest. Kent pressed his foot down on the accelorator. He needed to see "Crazy Joe" as soon as possible. Something was wrong with today. Very wrong.  
  
There is was. Clark braught the truck to a screaching halt, turning off the truck. He opened his door and stepped out, looking at the house. This is where he had picked up Alex for the dance. Clark ran onto the porch, avoiding the gap. Clark knocked anxiously on the door. "Mr. Mercer! Mr. Mercer, I need to talk to you!"  
  
Clark recieved no answer. But something was wrong with this house... there was danger inside. Clark knew something was terribly wrong. This was a trap. He had to get out! Clark turned around, walking towards his truck. He would escape out of here alive if he didn't look back. If he didn't bother Mercer.  
  
'Mercer!' thought Clark. He had the same powers as Alex. Clark looked back at the house, the unexplainable fear increasing. What was he afraid of? Nothing. There was nothing wrong with the house. Clark forced himself to think that, heading back up to the porch. Clark knocked again. "Mr. Mercer, I need to talk to you. It's about Alex!"  
  
The door opened. Clark stepped inside, ready to great Mr. Mercer. He ws there. Who had opened the door?  
  
Clark looked around the interior, or what he could see of it through the dark. Not a light was on, it was very dusty and rotting away. Spider-webs could be seen everywhere. "Mr. Mercer, I need to talk to you about Alex."  
  
i"Who are you?"/i  
  
Clark darted his eyes around. Where had that voice from? It was coming from everywhere. "Kent. Clark Kent! I need to talk to you. Please." Clark walked into what appeared to be the living room, with an ancient TV.  
  
i"Kent? You're the boyfriend."/i  
  
"Boyfriend?" asked Clark. "I'm not her boyfriend. I'm just a friend. Mr. Mercer, I need to talk to Alex. How can I talk to her? Where is she?" Suddenly there was a noise behind him. Clark spun around, falling back. Mercer had appeared behind him.  
  
"That isn't possible." he said, his voice scratchy. He sat down on the couch in front of the television. "And sorry if I mistook you for being involved with her, the way she talked about you was quite passionite."  
  
Clark thought this strange. "Crazy Joe" was supposed to mean and distant. And why wasn't it possible for him to speak to Alex? Why was he being nice to Clark? Was it because of Alex? "Passionite? What do you mean?"  
  
"She was in love with you."  
  
Clark shook his head. "You must be mistaken."  
  
Mercer looked strangely at Clark. "Alex was right, you are different. I can't access your memories from here."  
  
Clark was a bit shocked at what he said. Why was he trynig to read Clark's memories? "Why can't I talk to Alex? She was on vacation here, you must have her number."  
  
"Vacation?" asked Mercer, standing up. "Something is wrong."  
  
Clark gulped. He wasn't the only one who felt it. "What do you mean?"  
  
"Alex came here hiding. She never told you that she was on vacation, she was here to stay." Mercer said. "And I find it interesting you don't consider her and you involved, young sir. Something is not right."  
  
"Alex was here to stay? Then where is she?" asked Clark. "Is she allright?"  
  
"No." replied Mercer. "She is home. With her family, if you can call it that." he said, stepping closer. He hovered his fingers over Clark's temples. "It requires a lot of effort to read you."  
  
"What are you talking about? Is she in trouble? I need to help her."  
  
"Yes, she is in trouble." replied Mercer. "But nobody can help her. Not even you, dear boy. What I can't understand is what's wrong with you."  
  
"I'm... not from around here." Clark replied.  
  
"No, it's not that. Your memories are more scattered than when you were in the Talon."  
  
"You read my memories?"  
  
"I read everyone's emotions. But now I can't read you from a distance. Your thoughts, memories, emotions... they are scattered. Out of place. Why is this?"  
  
Clark shrugged. "I don't know. But how is she in trouble?"  
  
"Alex." he replied.  
  
"What?"  
  
Mercer sighed, closing his eyes, concentrating more. "Alex. She was in your mind. She did something. She tried to erase memories..."  
  
Clark's heart skiped a beat. Those dreams. "Last night, I had dreams. About me and her. Not sexually, but together... you know what I mean."  
  
Mercer managed a weak smile, but that soon faded. "She couldn't erase them. You have a second latent memory? Clark, whatever you are, your brain is incredible."  
  
"Thank you. But where is Alex?"  
  
"Just hold on one minute. I'm trying to access those memories." said Mercer. "Those memories, she overwrote them with memories she created. But your real memories are seepinging into your subconscious." he explained.  
  
"What are you doing?"  
  
"I'm pushing them to the surface. You'll remember what happened."  
  
Clark and Mercer both cried out in pain, but only for an instant. "There." reported Mercer. He had absorbed Clark's memories as well. He shook his head. They were scattered, out of order. "Clark: were you or were you not involved with Alex?"  
  
Kent thought about it, hard. "No." he responded. "We were just friends." he said. But one memory was different than it was on the drive up here. She kissed him in the loft? Why did Clark kiss her back? He felt no love for her then. But now... now was different. Clark resented the fact that he didn't feel anything before.  
  
Mercer looked down. "It didn't work. Clark, Alex was taken. By her own will. There is nothing you or I can do to help her."  
  
"Why? Where is she?" asked Clark.  
  
"You do care for her, don't you?"  
  
Kent paused. He did. "What's happened to her?"  
  
"Her family has taken her back." he said, sitting back down.  
  
"I have to help her!"  
  
"No!" barked Mercer. "You don't understand anything about this. Clark, you saw how powerful Alex was at the dance when she stopped that thing from killing people. She is incredibly weak compared to Justin. Her brother is the exception within our family, his powers are too strong."  
  
"Justin..." Clark repeated. "His eyes glow green."  
  
Mercer's eyes widened. "You remember?"  
  
"Yes, sort of. It's not clear. He was there. I was running... I needed to escape, get Alex to safety. I did! I can help her now."  
  
Mercer shook his head. "Clark, you still don't understand. If Justin gets angry he can kill everyone in Smallville. Everyone in Metropolis. He can kill anyone with a thought, Clark."  
  
"It doesn't matter." said Clark. "They can't just use Alexandra like that. I have to help her. I can destroy Justin, I know I can. I just need to find a weakness." he said. He needed to help Alex. Clark would at that moment do anything to save her.  
  
"You would risk your own life and the life of those around you to save a friend?"  
  
Clark paused. "No. But Alex isn't just a friend, I love her. I can save her. I know I can. If I'm strong enough I can."  
  
"Do you remember loving her?"  
  
"No! I don't understand it. When she was around I don't remember feeling any emotion towards her, but now... now it's different. I love her."  
  
Mercer blinked. "It's too risky. You can't defeat Justin."  
  
"iYes I can!/i For Alex I can. But I don't know where she is, you do!"  
  
Mercer remained quiet.  
  
"Just let me try. Alex is worth that, isn't she? Doesn't she deserve a real life? She can't just die there, under Justin's thumb. I ican/i save her. I know you love her, otherwise you wouldn't take the risk of hiding her from your grandson. I love her too, Mr. Mercer, I will do anything to stop Justin. I'll die trying before I stop trying to save her."  
  
Mercer looked over on the desk, a picture of his younger self and his wife there. It was the only thing in the house that didn't have dust or cobwebs on it, he kept it clean. Melisa was gone from his life, she died in the meteor shower. Mercer started thinking about how he felt, how we would have done anything or given anything just for the change to try and stop those meteors from falling. Clark was in a position to at least try and stop something terrible, and he was willing to sacrifice himself to do it. "Allright. But you can't barge in and hope to subdue Justin, you need a plan."  
  
Memories started surfacing out of order, confusing Clark, but one thing was for certain: he loved her just as much then as he did now. Today he would act. Today he would either save her, or die along with anybody else Justin thought worthy of ending. Tonight would be the end and beginning, either way the battle went. "I'm listening." 


	18. Masks

"Jonathan, stop yelling. I don't know what's wrong with Clark. Maybe... maybe he's down at the caves again." said Martha, trying to think up reasons why Clark hadn't been at school when she called.  
  
"Or maybe Alex has done more to his head." said Jonathan. "I told you that girl is nothing but trouble. You told me what Clark said this morning, his mind is being tampered with."  
  
"We don't know that."  
  
"I do!" exclaimed Jonathan. "It doesn't take a scientist to figure out that Alex is nothing but trouble."  
  
"No: it just takes an arrogant, prejudgemental father." replied Martha. "Jonathan, until we find out what is really going on, don't jump to conclusions. You don't need Clark any farther away from you. For all we know Clark is down in the caves, doing some more research."  
  
Jonathan sat down at the table. He knew she was right. Maybe Clark was allright, maybe he was down in the caves. Or maybe he was skipping school and spening the day with Alex... he had sure done it enough times in high school. Maybe all of those alarms going off in his head were false alarms, and everything was fine.  
  
Clark looked at his watch. This would have to be perfect, absolutly perfect. He and Mercer had developed a plan of action... it was risky, but had a chance of working. Just maybe everything could be right and normal again for both he and Alex. Clark looked to his side, seeing the "Welcome to Smallville" sign. Clark looked down the road, leading out of Smallville. Kent looked at his watch. Go time. Clark took off, sprinting down the road heading for Edge City.  
  
'I'm coming Alex.' thought Clark, 'I'm coming.'  
  
"He's coming." said Justin. "I can feel it. Just like before."  
  
The father away from the television to the son. The two were alone there, Alex was in school. "Where?"  
  
"He just left Smallville." the boy replied.  
  
"You can sense that far away?"  
  
"When that... thing uses his powers his mental signature lights up like a christmas tree." he explained, after just figuring it out. "He's reached Edge City." he reported. "He's heading for her high school."  
  
The dad looked back at the television, grumbling. "Stop him."  
  
i'Alex? Can you hear me? Alex, please!'/i  
  
Alex Mercer stopped in the middle of the hallway, dropping her binder and books. Clark was trying to reach her, like she had reached him when Justin had tried to capture her. How was he here?  
  
i'Please, meet me outside! We have to go, now. I have a way to stop Justin, if you come right now. Alex, I love you!'/i  
  
Mercer gulped. Clark really did love her... he couldn't! If Justin found out, Clark would be dead. But did Clark really have a way to stop Justin? How did he know anything about Justin? Maybe the memories had resurfaced. Maybe Alex didn't really suceed in burying the memories.  
  
Clark was risking his life to save her. Whether she agreed to come outside or not didn't make a difference, Justin would still feel the same. But if there was a way to destroy Justin, she had to take it. It would fix everything.  
  
"Are you allright?"  
  
Alex looked to where the voice was coming from, seeing Meretta. She was a girl who sat beside Alex in English class. "I'm fine." replied Mercer, taking off down the hallway. She left her books lying on the floor, discarded.  
  
Alex ran outside the front doors, there standing amoungst a crowd was Clark. He was smiling at her, bekoning.  
  
"Come on Alex!" Kent yelled, waving her towards him. "I love you. Come on, we have to get out of here."  
  
Mercer ran down the steps, throwing her arms around Clark. "You can stop Justin? How?"  
  
"It's a long story. Pete should be here with one of Lex's sports car, I can get you back to Smallville." explained Clark.  
  
Alexandra rested her head on Clark's chest, feeling his breathing. It was iexactly/i as she remembered, just like how he looked and even smelled. Everything was exactly as it was before. Things were normal once again, but for how long? It didn't matter. As long as she was here with Clark. "I love you." she whispered, holding Clark ever closer. She was safe.  
  
Faster. Faster! Clark continued running, as fast as he could. He had to get to Edge High before Justin figured out what he was going to do. He had to get her to safety. Kent stopped at the steps of Edge High. If Crazy Joe was right, then Alexandra would be at school. Clark needed to find her.  
  
Kent looked around the crowd, seeing Alex's signature jean overcoat. He couldn't see her very well, so moved closer. Some teenagers moved out of the way, and Clark could see her a bit more clearly. Who was she hugging? 


	19. Hate

"Alex!"  
  
Alexandra screaming, grabbing onto Clark more. She saw Justin walking towards her, menacing green eyes. He was coming for her. He was calling for her. "Clark, help, you need to get me out of here!" she yelled, stepping away from the approaching boy. She icouldn't/i go back, not when she was so close to Clark again. Alex couldn't let go this time. She looked back into Clark's eyes, they warmly staring back. Just as she remembered. He was iexactly/i the same. Something was wrong. Why was Clark wearing the same clothes as yesterday?  
  
Clark started walking away, motioning for her to go to. "Come on. We can get away from Justin."  
  
Alex looked to her side, seeing Justin standing there. Waiting for something to happen. Why was Justin wearing the same clothes he had yesterday? Both Clark and Justin were wearing exactly what she had remembered seeing them in last. Realization overcame Alex. Clark was not Clark, and that Justin was not there. He was just mirage.  
  
"Alex, hurry!" yelled Clark.  
  
Alex Mercer looked at Clark. "No." she stated, taking a step back. "Get away from me, Justin.  
  
Clark's eyes flashed green, and a wicken grin came accross his face. "So you aren't as stupid as I thought you were."  
  
Fear gripped Alex. She had fallen into a trap. "Help!" she cried out, to the crowd. None took notice. Then Alex realized that Justin was probably feeding them some sort of illusion. Alex looked over to the second Justin who was still staring at her, blankly. Who was that? Was that even a real person, or just a completely illusion?  
  
"We had a deal, Alex. You just decided to break it."  
  
Alex shook her head. There was nowhere to go. Justin had her, and could now justify himself to slaughter an entire town. "Justin, no." she said. "Don't."  
  
He shook his head, pretending to look sad. "I don't want to. It has to be done, I have no choice."  
  
"That's bullshit!" cried Alex.  
  
She had lied to him. Clark realized that now. She was involved with someone. Kent watched blankly as he saw Alex makeout with some guy in the middle of the crowd that were whispering and pointing. Clark couldn't pull his eyes of off Alex, he was almost hypnotized. How could he have been so naive?  
  
He continued watching, completely trapped in the illusionary world.  
  
"Why can't you just leave me the hell alone?"  
  
"You belong to me..."  
  
Alex's eyes widened. "You don't really believe that, do you?" she asked, in disbelief.  
  
Justin smiled. "Why not? I'm stronger. I'm a god. You're weaker, I can make you do things. It's just nature, Alex, you can't fight what's normal."  
  
"I can't fight you? Fine, Justin. I'm going to end this!" she said, charging for Justin.  
  
The brother just laughed, quickly raising his hands above his head in a large swinging motion.  
  
Alex's feet left the ground, and her stomach churned as she was flipped upside down. She stopped in midair, an upside down school in her view.  
  
Justin looked above him, seeing his sister under his complete control.  
  
'Think, Alex, think...' she though, trying to think of something. How many people were here? Over thirty? Alex could only make simaltanious illusions for a handfull of people, not thirty. She knew Justin could do more, but what kind of strain must that be? Maybe he could be attacked now.  
  
Alex closed her eyes, focusing on Justin. She started cursing to herself. She thought of all of those things Justin had done to her, all of those times he violated her. She directed all of that at Justin, in one quick mental blow.  
  
Clark blinked as a wave of nasua passed over him. Suddenly Alex wasn't with another man. There was somebody else though... Justin? He was in the middle of the crowd, started to yell out. He fell to the ground. Clark watched as a figure above him appeared, falling headfirst to the ground. It took Clark far longer than normal to piece together what was happening, and what he needed to do.  
  
Kent used his super speed to catch the falling figure, who Justin had held. What had just happened? Clark took a look at the fallen person, relieved to see it was Alex. "Alex!" Clark exclaimed.  
  
Alex looked up at him, filling with fear. She closed her eyes.  
  
Clark screamed, his mind filling with an impossibly intense pain. He dropped alex, taking a few steps back before falling to the ground. Why was she doing this to him?  
  
Justin sat on the ground, watching behind Alex as she intensly focus on Clark. Justin just smiled as she slowly killed the boy. 'That's it, Alex.' he thought. He was surprised at just how much pain the girl had inflicted on him, but it was nothing compared to what he could do. He could re-establish an illusion at any point, but he wanted to see her expression when she found out she had killed Clark and that he, Justin, was still alive and kicking.  
  
"Alex, no!" yelled Clark, unable to move. "Alex... stop... it's me..."  
  
Everyone in the crowd was staring at Alex and Clark, wondering what was happening to the boy. It looked like he was having a severe migrain.  
  
Clark now had to consciously force himself to breath. He couldn't move much else, the boy was spralling on the ground.  
  
Everyone else around him felt pain when they came near him, no none could offer help.  
  
"Alex... stop... it's me..."  
  
Alexandra stopped. "You're going to pay!" she screamed.  
  
'She thinks I'm Justin...' thought Clark. How could he prove to her that he wasn't Justin? That he wasn't just an illusion? Kent couldn't think of a way. He couldn't stop Alex from killing him.  
  
Alex focused harder. She started sensing his thoughts... pain. Great pain. Justin still held onto the illusion of Clark, feeding Alex thoughts to try and make her stop. But she wouldn't.  
  
Clark rolled on the ground, to his side, screaming in pain. He tried to block her out, telling her to stop. But he couldn't, she was too strong.  
  
Faster. Faster! She had to kill Justin before she let him retaliate. Though Alex had to admit she was having difficulty attacking the image of Clark. But she Justin would do anything in order to get what he wanted, the least of which fool her again with petty mindgames. She dug deeper into the figure's mind, trying to twist every nerve she could. Justin had done so much to so many people. This was the only way to stop him. Alex would set fire to everyone of his thoughts. She would burn everything! Everything until the bastard's mind was nothing but ashes. 


	20. The Fight

Clark stop moving. It was no use to try and thrash about on the ground, he had to concentrate to try and stop the pain, no matter how futile it was. He was having limited sucess. He continued fighting and fighting, until it was too much. He fell into unconsciousness, memories flooding to him until he settled into one.  
  
Seven-year-old Clark jumped back from the second snake that was right beside him. Clark stopped crying, and held his breath. He heard slithering. He looked around, and under the pale moonlight, the ground near him was moving. There was two snakes here, or even three, there was a least a dozen. Tears started streaming down Clark's face, but he dared not make a sound. Could snakes hear? Clark didn't know. He just to get out of here. He wanted to see dad again. He wanted to see dad and mom and Pete and Greg.  
  
The boy started inching away out of the small clearing, trying to stay away from the snakes, back the way he came. If he went back that way maybe he would find dad again.  
  
"Clark?!"  
  
Clark looked where he had heard the faint voice come from. Dad! Clark ran past the snakes, towards where the voice came from. "Dad! I'm right here!" Clark yelled out, racing for his dad. He would see him again! He ran and ran, until he saw his dad. Clark smiled, running up to Johnathan, throwing his tiny arms as far around him as he could.  
  
Alex stood at a relative distance, watching it unfold, still overhearing the thoughts of whom she thought was Justin. She was wrong. What had she done? How was she going to get out of this? How was she going to get Clark out of this?  
  
Clark hugged his dad as tight as he could. He wasn't going to leave him again. Dad was his protector, Clark had to stay with him so he wouldn't by things like those snakes. But then, suddenly, Clark wasn't a seven-year-old boy anymore. "Dad?" he called out. Jonathan had disappeared from the forest as Clark changed back to his present self. Kent looked around in confusion, but eyes widened once he saw Alex standing staring at him. "Alex! It's me, it's not Justin. Please, I need to wake up. We need to get out of here."  
  
Mercer raced up to Clark and hugged him. "I'm so sorry Clark." she whispered. "Justin is still here. If you get up he'll kill us both. I guess he was waiting for me to kill you. Clark, how... why did you come for me?"  
  
Clark held her closer. "Alex, I love you."  
  
Alex smiled at Clark. "Clark, I'm going to wake you up. I have to keep the telepathic raid going with you awake, so he won't get suspicious."  
  
Clark nodded. "I understand. I'll be ready, at least now I don't feel it."  
  
"As soon as it stops, then you can come and get me. I'm going to stun Justin and hope that gives us enough time to escape."  
  
"I understand."  
  
The pain returned. Clark could feel around him, but his senses were being overpowered by the unbearable pain in his head.  
  
Alex continued her mind raid, but she decreased it slightly for Clark. She waited several seconds, trying to find Justin. She found him. Justin was right behind her. She drifted her focus slightly towards him, just enough so she could target his mind and him not know it. She waited... waited...  
  
With a war cry Alex turned around, with arms outstretched towards Justin. He fell back to the ground, hollering in pain. For half an instant Alex smiled inwardly, to see him suffer. But only for half an instant. She felt Clark grab her, then nothing but blurs.  
  
Alex didn't know when she fell asleep exactly, a short time after Clark had slowed down to normal speed was all she could tell. In a state of half-reality and half-dream, she felt that she was being carried by Clark somewhere. In the dream she reached upwards and tenderly kissed Clark, pressing her lips against his, to show him just how she felt. But she didn't do that in reality, the situation was far too grim. The two had quite literally escaped death, and she was sure romance was the last thing on Clark's mind.  
  
"Here we are." said Clark, slowly lowering Alexandra so her back rested on the cave wall. Clark was amazed at how tired she was, though that was to be expected. From his understanding she had accomplished quite a feat back at Edge High.  
  
Alex opened her eyes once she was removed from Clark. Her eyes glanced around her surroundings, figuring out where Clark had taken her. She stared at him who was looking around the cave, looking at the cave paintings. "This place is importent to you." commented Alex. "Isn't it?"  
  
Clark nodded. "It's one of the only things I have that can tell me where I came from and who my parents are.."  
  
Alex looked at the ground. "Aren't you afraid that if you find out, you won't like it?" she said. "What if your real parents are evil?"  
  
He paused, thinking. "I guess that's a risk I'm taking. Even if they are bad, they are a part of me. Thorns, I suppose."  
  
Mercer remained silent at that, immediatly understanding. "What time is it?" she asked, "And how are we going to stop Justin?"  
  
Clark looked at his watch. "It's about five... Pete should have been here by now. Maybe he had trouble tracking down Lex." replied Clark. "And iI/i am going to stop Justin. I'm not going to let him hurt you, Alex."  
  
Alex stood up, shaking slightly. "That asshole has stolen everything from me." she said, angry. "I'll be damned if I'm going to let him take you. I can take care of myself, Clark, and whether you like it or not I'm fighting alongside you." 


	21. Friends

Clark walked down the streets of Smallville, a strange calm overcoming the town. Even after nightfall there was usually people walking about, doing some last minute shopping or socialization before heading home. But tonight there were none. Clark knew this was the work of Joe planting this in people's minds... Clark thought it wize, too. The upcoming battle with Justin could be a large one. Kent didn't want to see anybody get hurt.  
  
"It's quiet." said Alex, walking besides Clark. "Where are we going?"  
  
Clark glanced around the street, trying to find a sign of Justin. "Your grandfather was talking to me about the weakness your family has."  
  
Alex stopped. "Weakness?"  
  
Kent stopped as well, nodding. "Electricity."  
  
"So then, where are we going?" she asked again.  
  
"The Luthor Mansion." he replied. "Pete talked with Lex, told him about a freak that was going to hurt people. Pete told him what we needed to do. Assuming Lex did what I asked, I'm going to lure Justin into the main room which should be empty except for some polarizers linked directly to the Smallville power system. Anything organic inside those polarizers is going to get fried."  
  
Alex nodded. "Wait... if you're inside the polarizers..."  
  
"I won't be hurt badly. Not as badly as Justin, anyway, who will be knocked out at the very least." he replied. "Alex, Im not sure if this will work."  
  
She continued walking. "Yes it will, Clark. We have no choice but to suceed." Suddenly she stopped again, gasping, staring at the ground.  
  
"What's wrong?" asked Clark.  
  
"He's here."  
  
'Soon, sooner, soonest...' Justin prowled the streets of Smallville, trailing Alexandra and her dearest Clark. Soon he would reach the two, and finish them both. He closed his eyes, reached out with his senses. The prey was running now. Out of town... towards the Luthor Mansion. Justin couldn't have that. He wanted to play in a more open enviroment.  
  
His mind searched out again, finding a girl. She was familiar to Clark.  
  
Justin started walking in a new direction, for the school. He let Clark and Alex run, there was no point in going after them. He would simply wait for Clark to walk into his arms.  
  
Clark arrived at the mansion, finding a note on the front doors. He held it up close, trying to read it in the dark.  
  
i"Clark - I set up the polarizers for you and the mansion has been vacated. I hope when I get back from metropolis you'll give me an explaination."/i  
  
Kent smiled. Lex Luthor... he was a really good guy. Clark made a mental note to thank Lex for this favour, and give him an explaination without lying. He deserved that much. "Come on, Alex." said Clark as he opened the door. "Justin could be here any minute. I still need to heat up the polarizers."  
  
Alex didn't move, she stayed there, staring at nothing. "Clark... he's not coming after us." she said, wincing. "He's giving me a message. Chloe. Clark, he's going after Chloe at the school."  
  
Clark's eyes widened. "But... he has to come here!"  
  
Alex shook her head. "Clark, Justin wants you to meet him there. Otherwise he'll kill Chloe. He knows you won't refuse."  
  
Clark looked inside the mansion, and back at the road for Smallville. "Allright." he said. "You go inside, prepare the polarizers. The control mech. is in the very centre pilon, only warm it up, don't turn it on. Otherwise it will kill you."  
  
Alex nodded. "Good luck, Clark. I'll be ready. Just get Justin over here." she replied.  
  
Clark leaned in and kissed her. "I love you." he said.  
  
Alex closed her eyes as she kissed him in return. "I love you too." she said, opening her eyes. He was allready gone. 


	22. Nightmare

Alexandra walked down the hallways of the mansion, amazed at gothic it looked in such low lighting. Mercer walked down several passageways until she got to the main room. It was completely void of any furniture, the vast room was empty. Empty with the exclusion of four 6-feet-tall "pilons" about 15 feet apart from each other corner of the square being formed, along with another pilon in the very centre. Most of the pilon, the upper 4 feet of the pilons were glowing blue.  
  
Alex blinked. The electrical interference being generated with no power being given to them was enough to be throwing off her telepathy. In here she could possibly prevent a mental attack from Justin. She went into the square, feeling dizzy. Her grandfather was right, she must have a weakness to electricity. But would it work on Justin? Alex didn't know. But she had to try.  
  
She went to the centre, and obviously most importent, pilon. It had a small touch-screen contro panel. Gliding her fingers accross it, she told it to prepare for a full blast. She set it to give a prolonged blast about a minute long with as much energy as it could possibly handle. Alex wanted Justin fried for good.  
  
Alex, now done with the prep, walked up to the large window, gazing out into the night. Alex stared, entranced at the darkness. This night was like no other. It filled Alex's mind with emotions of loss, despair. For a moment she let herself be taken by these feelings. For a moment she was sure this night would be her grave.  
  
Clark entered the high school, allowing his eyes to adjust to the lowered light. Nobody was supposed to be here tonight, nobody with the obvious exception of Chloe. She had a key, she could come in to work on an article. But why tonight? Clark knew why. He was supposed to have been working with Chloe on that article, but had bailed on her to be with Alex. Thus Chloe had to do twice the work.  
  
Kent started walking down the halls, toward the Torch office. He needed to get to Chloe before Justin did. He needed to save her. But what if this was just a decoy? What if he was really going after Clark's parents? That was unlikely, considering that Justin appeared to want to fight Clark. An outright battle would be no trouble for Justin, and would be the end of Clark Kent.  
  
"Clark!"  
  
"Chloe?" asked Clark turning around from the hallway leading to the Torch, trying to find where Chloe's voice had come from. He started walking. "Chloe, where are you?"  
  
"Clark, help me!"  
  
Clark turned around the corner. The gymnasium. It was coming from the gymnasium! Clark ran in through the open door, seeing the lights on. Kent walked in towards the centre of the gym, looking around. There was nobody here. The lights went out. Clark looked out the door which he had come in, the lights in the hallway were out to. Had Justin cut the power? Suddenly the doors where he had come in slammed shut. Clark turned to leave through the other door, but it to slammed shut.  
  
"Clark, help me, help me Clark, help me."  
  
Clark turned around to see Justin standing there, mocking him. "Where is Chloe?" asked Clark. "What have you done with her?"  
  
Justin rolled his eyes. "Chloe is just fine, Clark. Just fine..." he said, his eyes looking at something behind Clark.  
  
Kent turned his head to see what he was looking at. There stood Chloe, wearing the most unconservative clothes Clark had ever seen her wear. He found himself staring at Chloe who didn't even seem to notice Clark... she stood in very tight jeans, and a shirt that showed more skin than it hid. He had never noticed how perfect her abs were...  
  
Chloe walked right past Clark, and to the farmboy's amazement she put her arms around Justin. She braught her lips to his, her chest to his, aggrssivly and playfully biting Justin's lower hip.  
  
Clark stood, staring. What had Justin done to her?  
  
"What's the matter, Kent? Jealous?" Justin asked, rubbing her back gently with his hands. "Now how could you be jealous, Clark? It hought you only had eyes for dear, sweet Alex."  
  
Clark remained silent.  
  
Justin smiled devishly at Clark. "You see, Clark. I'm not a bad person. But I do love Alex, I want to protect her. To do that she needs to stay with me."  
  
Clark felt a hand on his shoulder. Kent turned away from Justin to see Lana there, in even more revealing clothes than the image of Chloe. It was an image, Kent had decided. Lana was staring at Clark, bringing herself closer.  
  
"I'm not evil Clark." repeated Justin, his voice lowering. "I know what you want. I can make her seem as real as you need. I can be quite accomidating. All you need to do is convince Alex to come with me, peacefully, and I can make your fantasies just as real as reality." he said.  
  
Clark couldn't take his eyes off of Lana. She leaned in and kissed Clark, but he pulled away.  
  
"What?" asked Justin, sounding confused. "Allright, I'll up the deal." he said.  
  
Suddenly another Chloe was putting her arms around Clark, as well as Lana.  
  
"You see, I iknow/i what you want."  
  
Clark pushed the two images away, seeing them fade into nothing. "No." said Clark.  
  
"Fine." said Justin, getting angry. "Then you are going to die along with her."  
  
Clark needed to get out of here. Kent sped up, heading for the door at superspeed. He ramme dinto the door, sending it flying. Clark continued down the hallway. He needed to get out of here, and he hoped Chloe wasn't really here. But Clark stopped. The floor was suddenly covered with corpses in white body bags. The boy yelled aloud, turning around quickly. He had to get out of here. But Justin was there, blocking his path. Justin just stared at Clark, with those demonic green eyes.  
  
"I know what you're afraid of, Clark. I know everything."  
  
Clark backed up. Justin couldn't hurt him, not with fears. Clark was invinsible, nothing could harm him. He just had to keep repeating that in his mind. "You can't scare me, Justin."  
  
"Oh really?" asked Justin.  
  
Clark looke dto the ground, seeing a pile of long, thick snakes. They were crawling up Clark's pants. Clark looked to his side, seeing a snake on his shoulder. Clark held his breath and could feel his heart skip a beat. "They aren't real... they aren't real..." Clark repeated.  
  
Justin laughed. "Come, now, Clark. You can't tell me those creatures crawling up your pant legs don't give you the slightest pause?"  
  
Clark closed his eyes. He could feel them, slithering upwards. But they weren't real! They weren't real. Clark kept repeating that in his mind. None of this was real.  
  
"I'm impressed, Clarky. But everyone is a slave to their fears, even you. With the right... stimulae, your fears can choke you to death."  
  
Clark remained paralyzed as the snakes crawled in and out of his clothes. He felt one crawling around his neck. He tried to move his hand to pull it off, but he couldn't move. Clark just stared at Justin who seemed thouroughly amused with himself. The snake crawled around his neck, creeping up onto Clark's face. One of the snakes on Kent's leg bit, sending waves of pain through Clark that shouldn't be possible. Clark instinctivly yelled out in pain, and at that instant the snake crawling on his face raced into Clark's mouth.  
  
Kent screamed as the snake slithered in, Clark for some reason unable to bite down to stop it. The snake's head found it's way into the back of Clark's mouth, then started sliding down his throat. Clark fell to his knees, choking on this snake, but it continued to move downward.  
  
Clark needed to get out of here, awak from Justin. He tried to ignore the snakes crawling outside of him, and inside of him, and got to his feet. He tried to run, but his legs wouldn't work that fast. He was still being paralized with fear. He walked quickly, overstepping the body bags. The body bags he could make out, anyway, the hallway still dark except for the light coming from a window up ahead. He eventually fell to his knees again, and started again choking on the snake. He looked up at the window, with the moon reflecting light down onto him. He needed to find a way to break Justin's illusion.  
  
Justin kneeled down in front of Clark, blocking his hypnotic glare at the moon. "I could've made your fantasy come true, Clark, and you and Alex would be alive. Instead I'm going to have to kill you both. What do you have to say to that?"  
  
Clark tried to talk, but he couldn't speak.  
  
"Oops, sorry. Now, goodbye Clark. I have to have a chat with Alex." he said, standing up.  
  
He was going to die. The snakes were choking him to death, and there was nothing Clark could do. And this was only a ifraction/i of Justin's power. Clark briefly thought about his life, and how he wasn't going to have the time to do what he wanted. To say the things he needed to say. He was going to die. He, Clark Kent, the all-invinsible warrior he thought he was, was going to die. iHere/i, so close to saving the one he loved most. But no, he had failed.  
  
Clark's choking gave way to dry heaving. It was an incredibly painful ordeal, and it wasn't helped by the fact that there was more and more snakes appearing, piling on top of Clark as he looked at the moon. The creatures were on his arms, on his legs, in his shirt, under his pants... one snake continued to borrow into Clark's throat while two more curled around his neck, squeezing tightly. 


	23. Cold

"Gotcha!" exclaimed Chloe as a key finally dug into the doorknob. She twisted it, hearing the familiar clicking noise when it was secured. Chloe put the keys back into her purse, and started her way down the hallway to the main lobey. She heard her shoes constantly clacking against the ground which seemed eerie to her. Whenever Chloe heard them she had the oddest feeling someone was following her, right behind her...  
  
'Stop it Chloe, you're letting all of these stories getting to you.' she thought. It was October, a very warm one, and people's imaginations were getting the best of them. Though it did seem like paranoia was sweeping Smallville like an epidemic.  
  
Chloe stopped. Did she hear breathing? No. That was her own breathing. Nobody else could be in the school, everything was locked down this time of year to protect the school from teens looking for a halloween prank. Sullivan continued down the hallways, noticing that she had gone in a complete circle.  
  
'I must really be tired.' she thought, now consciously guiding her movements. And there it was again, the sound of very heavy breathing. Chloe looked down a long hallway. She was certain the noise was coming from there. 'What the hell.' she thought, started to walk down the hallway. It was only a minute, and she would prove to herself that it was just her mind imaging things.  
  
Chloe turned a sharp corner at the end of the hallway, gasping. "Clark!" she screamed. She saw Clark on his knees staring out the window, breathing heavily with tears running down his cheek.  
  
Slowly he turned to her, but still not taking his eyes off of the window. Chloe could see his entire face was damp from sweat and tears. "Help me!" he yelled, his voice quivering with fear.  
  
Chloe grabbed Clark's shoulders, but suddenly pulled back as Clark hurled. Chloe dodged the flying liquids, grabbing his shoulder's again, leading the teenager's head to the ground. Kent was obviously sick, but how sick? Chloe looked Clark over. Clark was breathing insanely fast, and he was breathing faster and faster. Chloe checked his pulse to see it the same. One beat was barely over before the next began. "Oh my god..." Chloe said as she realized what was happening. If this kept up Clark would have a heart attack. His heartbeat was allready faster than should be possible. Chloe layed Clark down right against his back, lifted his shirt. She her hands along his chest, trying to calm him down. What else was she to do?  
  
Chloe wiped a tear away. "Clark, Clark... answer me. Clark, what's wrong?" she asked, but Clark seemed completely unaware of her.  
  
"Help me! Help me... get it out... get out... get him again..." he muttered, his eyes unchanged from his hypnotic glare into thin air.  
  
This rang a bell in Chloe's mind. Didn't Lana say things like this? And now she was in the hospital. But nobody mentioned symtoms as severe as Clark was having right now. Clark was throwing up, hyperventalating, his heart was in overtime, and he would stop thrashing about.  
  
Chloe braught both hands to Clark's face. "Clark, settle down. Everything's allright. I'm here." she said. "I'm here Clark." she said. What was happening to Clark? She checked his pulse again. It was still faster.  
  
It was gone.  
  
Chloe blinked. Clark wasn't thrashing about, his pulse couldn't be felt, and he wasn't breathing. "Clark!" she screamed, moving her fingertips around Clark's wrist. There had to be a pulse. He couldn't be dead. There had to be a pulse. He couldn't be dead. iThere had to be a pulse/i  
  
"Clark, no... don't do this... you can't die... you don't know how I..." she stammered, bringing both of her hands over his chest. She threw her body weight into pressing down onto his chest, then releasing. She kept on doing this, bringing her lips to his, trying to force air into his lungs. Clark was never sick. Clark was never sick, he was some sort of super man. He couldn't die now. Not before he graduated, not before he lived, not before he knew how Chloe really felt.  
  
Clark fell to the ground, unable to fight anymore. The snakes continued to wrap themselves around him, but just as before with Justin and with that dream with Alex, Clark was powerless to fight them. He closed his eyes, embracing sleep. The sleep would end all of this.  
  
The darkness continued to overtake Clark, but as he fell into the void he felt someone else. There was someone else there. Clark decided he wouldn't give up, and using his last ounce of mental energy, Clark faught back.  
  
"Wake up. Please!" yelled Chloe, continuing CPR. Chloe smiled as she saw Clark's eyes moving. "Come on, Clark, come back..." she said. She felt his wrist again. A beat. "That's it Clark, come back to me."  
  
"Alex?"  
  
Chloe winced. "No, it's Chloe." she said, sitting the semi-conscious Clark upright. Her arms wrapped tightly around him. "It's Chloe." she said. "Clark, you're allright... you're allright..."  
  
"Yes." he said, trying to figure out where he was.  
  
"Clark, what happened?"  
  
"Justin..."  
  
"Justin? Justin who?"  
  
Clark's eyes widened. "Justin's going to kill Alex." he said, trying to stand up. He succeeded with Chloe's help. "I need to get to the Luthor place."  
  
"Allright, I'll drive you." said Chloe, confused. "Who is Justin?"  
  
"No, I can get there myself." said, trying to stand up on his own. He still hadn't regained his strength though, to he fell back on Chloe's help. "Justin... it's her brother. He's trying to kill her. I have to stop him. He's been doing this to everyone. He isn't normal."  
  
Chloe nodded in understand, walking out of the school with Clark supporting himself on her shoulder. He was recovering quickly, however, he was becoming more independant. "No, I'll drive you. It'll take you too long to walk there yourself." she said, bringing Clark to her car. She let go of Clark, grabbing her keys to unlock her bettle. "Here Clark, I'll drive." she turned around, turned around furthur, but there no sign of Clark. 


	24. Height

Alexandra Mercer paced the room. What had happened to Clark? He wasn't here yet. He should have lured Justin to her location by now! What is Justin had killed Clark? No. She couldn't think that. Clark was alive, he would be here any minute now. He would lure Justin into the room, flip the switch, and Justin would be dead. Clark and Alex could be together and she could live a normal life with him. Alone the two could never be happy, but working together they could have what every other human on this planet took for granted.  
  
Alex looked outside the large window again, trying to see into the night... but it was arker than before. There was no lights. There was good reason, too, Alex was drawing in massive ammounts of power into the mansion in order to power the polarizer. Clark had underestimated how much power the thing really needed. The ammount of electricity needed to kill Justin was... phenomenal. Alex shuddered at the thought of what would happen to her if she was caught in with the polarization field. But she found herself not horrified at the thought... it was better than being with Justin again. She looked at the control. Last resort... if Clark was dead and Justin tried to take her again, she would flip the switch. There was no way she would give herself to that bastard again. She gulped, hard. Alex wanted out of this. She never asked to be born into such a cursed family, she never asked to be given these amazing abilities. It wasn't her fault that her life up until now was a complete waste, all because of the irresponsible actions taken by Clark's people.  
  
A noise. Alex heard a noise. Mercer walked into the rectangular area of the polarization field, holding her breath. She heard the front door opening from down the hallway. Someoine was coming. Alex crossed her fingers. 'Clark... Clark... please let it be Clark...' she thought in her mind.  
  
It wasn't.  
  
Alex started breathing faster and faster as Justin swung the door open. Clark wasn't here! Justin was coming near. He walked in, but seemed disoriented. Mercer felt just a little hope... the polarizers were disrupting his telepathic ability, if only for a short while. "Justin... don't come any closer." she said, quivering.  
  
Justin smiled. "Alex, you're coming with me out of this room. iRight now./i"  
  
Alex shook her head, now placing herslef in front of the contropl panel. "These things won't let you control me." she said. "As long as I keep them on and on full power you can't hurt me." she said, lying. But did Justin retain enough of his power to detect the falsehood?  
  
Justin flexed his hands, making two fists. "I'm stronger than you in more ways than one Alex." he said, his voice saturated with anger.  
  
Clark's wobbling legs gave way, tripping him at superspeed. The boy flew thirty feet through the air before making full contact with the paved road again. Kent stood up, almost unable to do that. How was he going to face Justin like this? Clark didn't know. But that was irrelavent. It didn't change the fact that he did have to face Justin, at the mansion. Was Justin allready there? Had he killed her? Or had she flipped the switch, with her inside? Clark shuddered. He couldn't loose her like that. Not after he had failed her by being taken by his fears. He was a superman in so many other ways, but he failed where it really counted.  
  
Clark could see the mansion. He tried to enter superspeed, but he couldn't. His legs were too weak. Cursing to himself, Clark ran normally, as fast as his legs could take him. The mansion drew nearer and nearer.  
  
A scream.  
  
Alex screamed as Justin lunged toward her, arms flailing. Mercer dodged Justin, rolling on the ground. The girl stood up again, but Justin was allready there.  
  
His fist connected with Alex's head in a powerful display of strength, sending her spiraling to the ground. Justin looked at her on the ground, trying to sit up. He felt a sense of satisfaction... he was stronger, now he had proven it. Again. Surely she wouldn't resist him now?  
  
Alex lay on her hands and knees, closing her eyes. She felt dizzy, so dizzy, but she had to stand up. She had to be stronger and faster than Justin. In one quick move she threw herself up, and surprisingly was able to keep herself up. Alex took a quick glanced around, seeing that the two siblings were inside the rectangle of polarizers. If she could get to the controls, she could end everything right now. Alex looked back to him, seeing Justin's eyes grow large with anger once again as he lunged forward. Alex made a quick move to her left, swinging her fist out. It connected with Justin's head, throwing his feet out from underneath him. With Justin temporarily on his back, Alex jumped for the central control. She reached out with her hand for the touchpad, which had a large glowing red button. If she could just press that...  
  
Justin grabbed Alex's left ankle as she tried to get out of his range. She wasn't going ianywhere/i!!!  
  
Alex stretched, trying to make her finger touch the red button. It was only five inches away! Alex wiggled her foot, trying to break Justin's grasp. She couldn't. She used all of her strength to pull herself forward. She was only an inch away from pressing the screen, only an inch away from ending all of the pain that she had been suffering for so long.  
  
"You... are... mine..." said Justin, using his other hand to grap onto the ankle.  
  
Alex turned her head around, facing Justin. In that instant she let it sink in that this man ikilled/i Clark. She realized that she and Clark were being buried in the same grave. "No I'm not!" she screamed, pushing herself back toward him. She launched her right boot heal into Justin's forhead.  
  
Justin retracted his hands, yelling out in pain and shock.  
  
Alex turned back toward the panel. She lunged forward, practicly punching the red button to initiate the polarizers. In just one second she would be dead, she would finally be free of everything. Smallville would be safe from Justin.  
  
'Clark!' her mind screamed as the door opened, revealing Clark. Clark was here! He wasn't dead! If he was fast enough he could get to her before...  
  
The polarizers flared up. All Clark saw was a blinding blue light, which had replaced the happy-looking Alex who had fliped the switch. Clark ran faster now, diving into the blue polarizing field. His entire body stung, but he grabbed Alex up without loosing any speed. He continued on his way through the field, bypassing her brother Justin.  
  
The two flew out of the polarization field. Clark lay her down on the floor, shaking off the pain. If she had just wait one more second, she wouldn't have been caught in the field. Kent turned his head back to the polarizers as the humm stopped... Justin was nowhere to be seen. He had been incincerated.  
  
Clark turned back to Alex with a smile on his face. They had done it! Justin was gone. But Ken'ts smile gave way to horror. Her skin was darkened and her clothes were charred. Alex wasn't breathing. Clark knelt down closer her her, feeling her neck... there was no pulse.  
  
Kent wasn't fast enough. He hadn't reacted in time. Clark pulled Alex to s sitting position, putting his arms around her, bringing her closer. She couldn't be dead, she had to be alive.  
  
"Alex... I'm here... it's all over now. You can live your life now, Justin is dead. Alex, you can be with me..." said Clark, his voice giving way.  
  
"Clark?"  
  
Clark smiled, facing her. Her eyes were slightly open. "Don't try to talk. I need to get you to a hospital.  
  
Alex let her eyes close. No, no hospital. She could feel what was left of her dying slowly. But she had done it... Justin was gone... Clark was alive... and last thing she would ever see was Clark smiling at her. But there was another way they could be together.  
  
"Alex... Alex, I love you." muttered Clark as a white light suddenly flashed over him.  
  
"Where am I?" asked Clark, looking around. He was in the school gymnasium.  
  
"Here."  
  
Clark turned around, to see Alexandra standing there in the stunning dress she had worn at the dance. "Alex! Alex, you're alive!"  
  
Alex wiped a tear that had fallen from her eye. "Clark I can't hold on." she said.  
  
Kent came forward, throwing his arms around her. "You have to... Alex, I'm so sorry. I wasn't strong enough."  
  
"Yes you were." she replied simply, holding him closer. Her voice suddenly sounded more tired.  
  
Clark smelled her hair. It was just as perfect as it was their first date. However something else in this mirage caught his attention... the doors were giving way to a black cloud. Most of the walls were too. "Alex..." Clark stammared as the blackness continued to overtake objects in the vision. "Alex, you can't give up. I can get you to a hospital."  
  
Alex took Clark's hand and started swaying, dancing to imaginary music.  
  
Clark follwed her movements, holding her as close as possible. The two danced slowly as the void overtook the gymnasium. Clark didn't say anything, because any words would not be enough to express what he was feeling. He was about to lose Alex.  
  
Clark didn't take his eyes off of Alexandra, but noticed that the entire gym was nothing but a black nothing.  
  
Alex pulled herself as closely toward Clark as she could. Her face was wet with tears. "Clark, I love you. Don't... don't ever forget me."  
  
Kent shook his head. "No, Alex, I can never forget you..." he said. Nothing in this mirage was left except the stunning image of her.  
  
Alex didn't blink, she just stared into Clark's eyes. "Goodbye." 


	25. Pieces

Martha looked out a window from the kitchen, at the barn. there wasn't a light glowing from the loft. Even with Jonathan sitting at the table near her, Martha felt more alone than she had in a very long time. Maybe it was just because the power was out, and it was a pitch-black night, but maybe it was completely due to the fact that Clark was missing. Maybe Jonathan had been right... what if in by supporting Clark, she was nudging him closer to danger. Martha looked to the table where Jonathan sat, and placed herself beside him. "Maybe we should go to the cave to find him." suggested Martha.  
  
Jonathan nodded. They had put off doing that, in case Clark tried to phone. And truth be told, Martha and Jonathan didn't want to be apart. Not when Clark didn't show up for school, when he never called, when he hadn't shown up when past midnight. Both Jonathan and Martha jumped however when the lights flooded the room again.  
  
iClick./i  
  
Jonathan and Martha both shot up from their chairs as they heard the door opening. Martha's eyes widened however when she saw Clark's tear-stricken face. "My god... Clark what's wrong?" she asked, running up to her teenage son. She put her arms around him comfortingly, but he didn't recipricate. His eyes didn't look at Martha - or anything - Clark was in some sort of hypnotic trance.  
  
"What's wrong son?" asked Jonathan, taking a step towards Clark. "What happened? Did Alex do this to you? Clark, I warned you about-"  
  
Clark was in a state of shock... everything that was happening around him barely registered. It was all going to quickly. However what Jonathan said stung Clark. Kent now focused his eyes on his father, glaring at him. "She's dead!" Clark screamed.  
  
Jon was at a loss of words... idead?/i "Clark... what? How?"  
  
Clark pushed Martha away gently, gulping. He felt weak, so he supported himself with the banister. His breating however quickened as sorrow gave way to anger. "She killed herself, dad! To protect me, you, mom, everyone... she's gone!" Clark said as more tears streamed down his face.  
  
Jonathan was short of breath. He stared at Clark standing there, a complete wreak. What the hell had happened? "Clark, it's allright..." he said, moving closer. He outstretched his arms, trying to hug Clark.  
  
"No!" yelled Clark, gently shoving Jonathan away. "It's not allright... it's not allright... if you hadn't said those things, maybe she would've told me sooner... maybe I could've saved her..."  
  
"Clark-" started Jonathan.  
  
Clark spun around, forming a fist. His hand crashed through the wall, making a large banging sound.  
  
"Clark!" yelled Martha as she ran to Clark again, holding him.  
  
Clark retracted his hand from the wall. Why had he done that? He didn't know. He felt so much ianger/i. Clark turned back around to Jonathan. Clark felt so much anger...  
  
"Son, calm down." said Jonathan. "Everything is allright. We're here. It's all over now."  
  
Martha studied her son. He looked so tired, and weak. She motioned him up the stairs, followed by Jonathan. Clark was now muttering something indecipherable, all except a few words such as "Alex" and "life". Martha and Jonathan moved the now semi-conscious Clark onto his bed. "You go to bed, Jonathan." said Martha. "I'll be here if Clark needs me. We'll sort out everything in the morning."  
  
Jonathan hesitated while standing in the doorframe. Clark was almost asleep, and Martha looked very much awake. "Allright." said Jonathan. "Call me if you need me." he said, leaving the room.  
  
Martha watched as Clark fell into a complete sleep. She brushed her hand over his forehead, and over his cheek, wiping away what tears she could. She would hate to be Clark right now... Martha did not know how she would react if Jonathan had died. It was a nightmare Martha hoped she would never face.  
  
Martha Kent looked out of Clark's small window, into the black night. This night would be the hardest for Clark, but it wouldn't get very much easier with nights and more nights would come. But the night always gave way to dawn, and with each dawn Clark would better cope with his loss. She prayed that those dawns would come quickly for Clark, she would do anything to spare Clark of the pain he was no doubt experiencing.  
  
Clark was in that sacred place, somewhere between real and dream. There was someone knealing in front of him, whispering things to him... mom. But that soon faded into a complete dreamworld.  
  
Clark stood on the gym floor. "You look fantastic." commented Clark as Alexandra entered the gym, her smile alone lighting up the massive room. Alex walked over to Clark, taking his hands. The two started dancing accross the floor to imaginary music.  
  
"I'm here." whispered Alex in Clark's ear, bringing herself closer. "It's all over now. I love you Clark."  
  
The two glided accross the dancefloor of dream, Clark wrapped up in the love he was feeling from her. He was happy. 


End file.
